It is said that around the year 1000, during the domination of the Moors in Sicily, in the Arab neighborhood of Kalsa (in the heart of Palermo) there lived a beautiful girl who spent her days dedicating herself to taking care of her plants. One day, from the top of her lush balcony, she was noticed by a Moor who was passing by. As soon as he saw her, he immediately fell in love with her and didn't hesitate for a moment to declare his love for him. The girl, struck by this declaration, passionately reciprocated the Moro's sentiment, but their story, which began with such ardor, was destined to be short-lived. Soon the young woman discovered that her beloved had to return to the East where his wife and children were waiting for him. In the middle of the night, feeling betrayed and humiliated, the girl abandoned herself to a moment of jealousy and fatal anger , killing her Moor while he was sleeping. Subsequently he cut off the head and created a sort of vase in which he planted a basil sprout which he took care of day by day. Thanks to its heady scent, the basil plant , considered the herb of kings (from the Greek Basilikos ), garnered the envy of the girl's neighbors who wasted no time in making terracotta vases with the same features as the Moor's Head.
