There are several versions of the legend of the Moor Heads. One version tells the story of a noble Sicilian girl that fell in forbidden love with a Moorish man. However, this forbidden love, seen as a sign of dishonour, led them both to their death because they were discovered and beheaded by the girl’s father. Both the heads, according to legend were turned into vases, planted with basil and affixed on the balcony. The scent of the basil led neighbours to create their own terracotta vases resembling the heads. For this reason the heads are displayed in pairs in memory of the two murdered lovers.