Posted by cellat on Friday, June 3, 2016 in Blog posts.

I decided to do my observation in Piazza Garibaldi, since I casually observed that Piazza Duomo was mainly populated by tourists, whereas the former was mainly populated by Italians. I decided to start my observation at 12:40, since then I could observe the transition from before to during siesta. Before siesta, I noticed that most people in the square were sitting in the shade at the tables of one of the two outdoor bars. The age range varied from elderly to new parents with stroller-age babies, with a semi-formal attire, as men would wear polo shirts and pants, typically jeans, and women would wear shirts or blouses with pants or capris. Aside from myself and two men who sat outside of Antica Porta Terra, everyone was a part of a group, from 2 to 4 people. I also noticed that the traffic was rather heavy for a pedestrian area, and the majority of this automotive traffic was scooters, often with a passenger with a helmet but not holding onto the driver. One of the surprising aspects of the foot traffic were the school-age children (who happened to dress rather trendy, with graphic t-shirts and ripped pants) walking around before class should be over, but that may have to do with the previous day being Republic Day. Another interesting observation was the number of small children out with either their mothers or grandmothers.

However, starting around 13:00, I noticed that the Italians who were sitting at the tables slowly began to disperse, and within twenty minutes, none of them were left, save the waiters at the bars, and the occasional straggler or two. And almost like clockwork, the square was calm, with even a ceasing of motor vehicles, as tourists came through on their way to Piazza Duomo, only stopping to take photos on their cellphones of the monument to Salvatore Spinuzza or withdraw money from Banca di Sicilia. And the tourists were also recognizable by their attire, as you had grown adults carrying backpacks and wearing shorts, as they looked around to orient themselves and pick out the “must-see” sites before they hit the beach or move onto the next town. I finally left at 13:20, feeling satisfied in my observations.

Follow Up Questions

1. When siesta ends, does the square pick up in activity in the same way that it declined in the early afternoon, or does it do so more gradually?
2. How does a Friday after a major holiday with good weather compare to a weekday or cloudy day in the Piazza, in terms of population makeup?