(also frutta di Martorana or, in Sicilian, ) are traditional marzipan sweets, in the form of fruits and vegetables, from the provinces of Palermo and Messina, Sicily. Realistically coloured with vegetable dyes, they are said to have originated at the Monastero della Martorana, Palermo, when nuns decorated empty fruit trees with marzipan fruit to impress an archbishop visiting at Easter. They are traditionally put by children's bedsides on All Souls' Day. See also List of Sicilian dishes References External links Martorana fruit Commercial page with image Italian confectionery Cuisine of Sicily Marzipan