ENG - The Madonie and The Park - Madonie Park Gates
ENG - The Madonie and the Park - Madonie Park Gates
Geography
The Madonie are located between the Imera (about 50 km east from Palermo) and Pollina rivers, which marks the border with the province of Messina and the Nebrodi Mountains. They fall to the north in the Tyrrhenian Sea while they melt to the south in the central highlands of the Sicilian hinterland.
The highest peak of the Madonie is Pizzo Carbonara (1979 meter a.s.l.), the second highest in Sicily behind Etna. Although they appear compact and similar to each other, these mountains, which reach over 2,000 meters, are actually composed of two main areas: a central core with limestone massifs and the surrounding areas of clayey nature. In the same way, the reliefs alternate between harsh and sweeter and more sinuous. The Madonie territory can be divided into three areas in geographical terms: the valley of the territory of the northern Imera (west), the valley of the southern Imera and the Salso (south-west and south) and the valley of the Pollina (east). The Madonie slope down to the sea heading north, between the towns of Campofelice di Roccella and Pollina, touching Cefalù.
The park of the same name is inside the Madonie, a Regional Natural Park that includes fifteen municipalities of the metropolitan city of Palermo in Sicily: Caltavuturo, Castelbuono, Castellana Sicula, Cefalù, Collesano, Geraci Siculo, Gratteri, Isnello, Petralia Soprana, Petralia Sottana, Polizzi Generosa, Pollina, San Mauro Castelverde, Scillato and Sclafani Bagni. Among these, Petralia Soprana, Geraci and Gangi, are part of the club of “I Borghi più belli d’Italia” (the most beautiful “villages” in Italy).
Flora and fauna
The institution of the Park, the exceptional habitat and the relative population density allow Madonie to boast almost 90% of the species of fauna and floral among those found in Sicily. The Park consists of four different areas with different protection (from integral to checked) and does not cover the entire Madonie area, avoiding the coast in particular. The woods, the valleys and the plateaus of the Madonie are inhabited by different species living in freedom. Wild boars are widespread due to the absence of an antagonist
Among the other most widespread mammals, there are the fallow deer, the hare (italic), the hedgehog (european), the red fox, as such as several species of birds, lepidopterans, and also 90 species of diurnal butterflies divided into families: Hesperiidae (14 species), Papilionidae (5 species), Pieridae (11 species), Lycaenidae (19 species), Nymphalidae (41 species). Among the endemic species, there are Hesperia comma hemipallida, Parnassius apollo siciliae, Lycaena alciphron bellieri, Eumedonia eumedon nebrodensis, Polyommartus daphnis pallidecolor.
When to go
Visiting the Madonie means to go to the mountains, although it may seem strange since you are Sicily. The Madonie have a harsh climate that also allows skiing in winter (Piano Battaglia). The choice of the visiting period depends on the activity you want to do. Spring and summer are very suitable if you choose to discover nature or a historical itinerary. Anyone who goes to practice winter sports will obviously prefer the colder months, when the Madonie offer a landscape formed by all the villages whitened as small cribs, showing an unexpected Sicily.
What to do
Among the many activities, you can take walks on the main equipped trails, do birdwatching at the observation points, horseback or mountain biking, visits to caves, natural cavities, and geological sites with fossils, excursions along the waterways and itineraries on cross-country skis or mountaineering during the periods of greatest snowmaking. High-altitude itineraries (areas between Piano Cervi, Piano della Principessa, Monte Ferro, Pizzo Carbonara, Monte Mufara, Fosso Canna) present more difficulties and require the support of local guides, while the ones at medium and low altitude follow the "trazzere" (old dirt roads) from the Bourbon era, used for transhumance, or the paths between hamlets, farmhouses, mills and country churches.
The areas of greatest naturalistic interest are Vallone Madonna degli Angeli, Piano Pomo (about 1400 meter a.s.l., between Petralia Sottana and Castelbuono), Piano Battaglia (about 1600 meter a.s.l., between Polizzi Generosa, Petralia Sottana and Isnello),the Sanctuary of the Madonna dell'Alto (14th century, pilgrimage center at an altitude of 1819 meter a.s.l.), the Gorges of Tiberius (along the Pollina river).
Piano Battaglia is a resort for winter sports and is a fraction of Petralia Sottana. It is located at 1572 meters a.s.l, in the heart of the Madonie massif, between the mountain range of Pizzo Carbonara (1979 meters a.s.l.) and Monte Mufara (1865 meters above sea level), in a landscape and environment of high value. The plateau is a large polje and is part of the Carbonara Karst complex.
Within the circuit of the European Geoparks and the list of UNESCO World Geoparks, which includes the Madonie Park, Piano Battaglia is home to a beautiful beech forest and an interesting geological trail, which offers the opportunity to observe spectacular fossil coral formations of the Mesozoic, belonging to the domain of the Panoramide Carbonate Platform.
Piano Battaglia is the starting point for countless excursions to be done on the high Madonie. It also has a ski resort, completely renovated in 2017, with a total of 5 kilometers of slopes, served by a chair lift, a ski lift and a treadmill.
41 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Piano Battaglia
Piano Battaglia is a resort for winter sports and is a fraction of Petralia Sottana. It is located at 1572 meters a.s.l, in the heart of the Madonie massif, between the mountain range of Pizzo Carbonara (1979 meters a.s.l.) and Monte Mufara (1865 meters above sea level), in a landscape and environment of high value. The plateau is a large polje and is part of the Carbonara Karst complex.
Within the circuit of the European Geoparks and the list of UNESCO World Geoparks, which includes the Madonie Park, Piano Battaglia is home to a beautiful beech forest and an interesting geological trail, which offers the opportunity to observe spectacular fossil coral formations of the Mesozoic, belonging to the domain of the Panoramide Carbonate Platform.
Piano Battaglia is the starting point for countless excursions to be done on the high Madonie. It also has a ski resort, completely renovated in 2017, with a total of 5 kilometers of slopes, served by a chair lift, a ski lift and a treadmill.
Castellana Sicula is the first inhabited center you meet along the ss. 120, 13 km from the Tremonzelli junction, after you crossed the localities of Xireni and Donalegge. It can be considered the door of the southern slope of the Park.
A town of modern appearance, due to the rapid evolution that occurred since the Second World War, its origins dating back to the 18th century, the period in which the feudal lord of the place, Duke of Ferrandina, graciously gave his wife's name (which belonged to the Castellana family of Spain) to the lands on which Castellana stands today.
It has neither historic buildings, nor churches full of artworks, but, entering into the town of Castellana and its frazioni (parts of municipalities), the murals, frescoed paintings on the corner walls of the houses, strike the visitor's attention. Since 1994, valuable artists had left their precious contributions on the streets and in the council hall, a modern art gallery. A second attraction consists of some archaeological evidence: the remains of a Roman Villa of the first centuries after Christ; the "pigiatoi" (hand-operated winepresses) dug into the rock near the Villa; and above all, the early Christian hypogea, which are partly next to the Villa (one of which is held in the building of the museum built around it), partly in the ancient and upper side of Calcarelli (Part of the municipality of Castellana Sicula).
The visitor gets to the center of Castellana Sicula continuing along the state road SS 120, after he crossed the localities of Xireni and Donalegge. There are several essential services, useful for tourists, in Castellana Sicula: a Park Information Point and a library, which includes an Info@natura department, rich in volumes about the Madonie Park, magazines and multimedia products of environmental interest. There is a sports field and a multi-purpose field, bakeries, pastry shops that makes typical local bread and sweets, and then bars, hotels, restaurants, farms and anything that can provide refreshment to the visitor.
If, instead of continuing to the center, you go up to the left, along a avenue, you can reach the fractions of Calcarelli, Catalani and Nociazzi in succession, then Piano Mulino (1200 meter a.s.l.), where to find a recently restored water mill and an equipped area. Each center has its own small, clean and well-kept church, next to a vast sub-urban area in which there are archaeological sites, places of ethno-anthropological interest with pastoral settlements, water mills, itineraries and nature trails.
6 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Castellana Sicula
Castellana Sicula is the first inhabited center you meet along the ss. 120, 13 km from the Tremonzelli junction, after you crossed the localities of Xireni and Donalegge. It can be considered the door of the southern slope of the Park.
A town of modern appearance, due to the rapid evolution that occurred since the Second World War, its origins dating back to the 18th century, the period in which the feudal lord of the place, Duke of Ferrandina, graciously gave his wife's name (which belonged to the Castellana family of Spain) to the lands on which Castellana stands today.
It has neither historic buildings, nor churches full of artworks, but, entering into the town of Castellana and its frazioni (parts of municipalities), the murals, frescoed paintings on the corner walls of the houses, strike the visitor's attention. Since 1994, valuable artists had left their precious contributions on the streets and in the council hall, a modern art gallery. A second attraction consists of some archaeological evidence: the remains of a Roman Villa of the first centuries after Christ; the "pigiatoi" (hand-operated winepresses) dug into the rock near the Villa; and above all, the early Christian hypogea, which are partly next to the Villa (one of which is held in the building of the museum built around it), partly in the ancient and upper side of Calcarelli (Part of the municipality of Castellana Sicula).
The visitor gets to the center of Castellana Sicula continuing along the state road SS 120, after he crossed the localities of Xireni and Donalegge. There are several essential services, useful for tourists, in Castellana Sicula: a Park Information Point and a library, which includes an Info@natura department, rich in volumes about the Madonie Park, magazines and multimedia products of environmental interest. There is a sports field and a multi-purpose field, bakeries, pastry shops that makes typical local bread and sweets, and then bars, hotels, restaurants, farms and anything that can provide refreshment to the visitor.
If, instead of continuing to the center, you go up to the left, along a avenue, you can reach the fractions of Calcarelli, Catalani and Nociazzi in succession, then Piano Mulino (1200 meter a.s.l.), where to find a recently restored water mill and an equipped area. Each center has its own small, clean and well-kept church, next to a vast sub-urban area in which there are archaeological sites, places of ethno-anthropological interest with pastoral settlements, water mills, itineraries and nature trails.
Polizzi Generosa offers one of the most evocative views of Sicily. Its position is enhanced by the charm of the peaks of the Madonie, which reach 2000 meters high, and the lush valleys of hazel groves, olive groves and orchards. It is exciting the phenomenon called "maretta", which envelops Polizzi with clouds, offering to the eyes, islands suspended in the sky.
Various assumptions have been made about the name of Polizzi: according to Diodoro Siculo, it corresponds to the Sicilian Athena, the Polis par excellence. The discovery of some archaeological evidence, dating back to the Hellenistic age and nowadays preserved in the Civic Archaeological Museum, suggests the existence of a first urban settlement, in the 4th-3th century BC., while the present residential nucleus had its origin during the Byzantine domination, when it was conferred the name of Basileapolis (City of the King). In order to defend themselves, it was precisely the Byzantines establishing their fortress in a strategic position, on the fortress on which nowadays town stands, thus managing to control the main access routes to Val Demone.
The Byzantine domination lasted until 882, the year in which the Saracens inflicted a hard defeat to the Byzantines, settling in the territory by erecting a mosque on the Rocca (today the Church of Sant'Antonio Abate). A date to remember in the town's history is 1234, year in which Federico II attributed the title of "Generosa” to the city of Polizzi, because of the status of Città Demaniale, ", which has remained an integral and distinctive part of its name since then. The Città demaniali (“state-owned cities”) had important privileges and prerogatives, and for this reason many wealthy families, called "nobles" (although they were not, because the nobility was conferred through royal privilege), by virtue of their wealth, built beautiful and sumptuous mansions, obtaining the attribution of an heritable coat of arms from the viceroy.
The period of greatest splendor and remarkable artistic flowering for the town was reached during the Renaissance, thanks to the privileges linked to the geographical position that placed it at the center of a main road junction of the communication system. Cultural life was also particularly active in that period, as witnessed by the opening of the first public school, the aqueduct for the supply of water to all the inhabitants and a school of "first letters" then extended to the courses of superior study.
The difficulties related to the drought of 1548 and the spread of the plague in 1575-76 began a phase of progressive decline that marked the town deeply, halving the number of inhabitants. There was an economic recovery at the end of the 19th century, evidenced above all by the presence of various commercial activities within the territory.
Nowadays, the historic center of Polizzi is full of testimonies left by previous dominations: civil and religious architecture, such as several palaces or the Church of Santa Maria Assunta (or Santa Maria Maggiore). The village also has a rich gastronomic culture; in fact, different festivals take place during the year, such as the Sagra della Nocciola. Among the typical products there are the "badda" bean and the sfoglio, a dessert stuffed with tuma (typical Sicilian cheese products).
12 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Polizzi Generosa
Polizzi Generosa offers one of the most evocative views of Sicily. Its position is enhanced by the charm of the peaks of the Madonie, which reach 2000 meters high, and the lush valleys of hazel groves, olive groves and orchards. It is exciting the phenomenon called "maretta", which envelops Polizzi with clouds, offering to the eyes, islands suspended in the sky.
Various assumptions have been made about the name of Polizzi: according to Diodoro Siculo, it corresponds to the Sicilian Athena, the Polis par excellence. The discovery of some archaeological evidence, dating back to the Hellenistic age and nowadays preserved in the Civic Archaeological Museum, suggests the existence of a first urban settlement, in the 4th-3th century BC., while the present residential nucleus had its origin during the Byzantine domination, when it was conferred the name of Basileapolis (City of the King). In order to defend themselves, it was precisely the Byzantines establishing their fortress in a strategic position, on the fortress on which nowadays town stands, thus managing to control the main access routes to Val Demone.
The Byzantine domination lasted until 882, the year in which the Saracens inflicted a hard defeat to the Byzantines, settling in the territory by erecting a mosque on the Rocca (today the Church of Sant'Antonio Abate). A date to remember in the town's history is 1234, year in which Federico II attributed the title of "Generosa” to the city of Polizzi, because of the status of Città Demaniale, ", which has remained an integral and distinctive part of its name since then. The Città demaniali (“state-owned cities”) had important privileges and prerogatives, and for this reason many wealthy families, called "nobles" (although they were not, because the nobility was conferred through royal privilege), by virtue of their wealth, built beautiful and sumptuous mansions, obtaining the attribution of an heritable coat of arms from the viceroy.
The period of greatest splendor and remarkable artistic flowering for the town was reached during the Renaissance, thanks to the privileges linked to the geographical position that placed it at the center of a main road junction of the communication system. Cultural life was also particularly active in that period, as witnessed by the opening of the first public school, the aqueduct for the supply of water to all the inhabitants and a school of "first letters" then extended to the courses of superior study.
The difficulties related to the drought of 1548 and the spread of the plague in 1575-76 began a phase of progressive decline that marked the town deeply, halving the number of inhabitants. There was an economic recovery at the end of the 19th century, evidenced above all by the presence of various commercial activities within the territory.
Nowadays, the historic center of Polizzi is full of testimonies left by previous dominations: civil and religious architecture, such as several palaces or the Church of Santa Maria Assunta (or Santa Maria Maggiore). The village also has a rich gastronomic culture; in fact, different festivals take place during the year, such as the Sagra della Nocciola. Among the typical products there are the "badda" bean and the sfoglio, a dessert stuffed with tuma (typical Sicilian cheese products).
A very characteristic and small madonita village, it is inserted in the circuit of the orange flags of the Italian Touring Club. It is located in the heart of the Madonie Park, 1,000 meter a.s.l.
The origins of Petralia Sottana are very distant, and validated by numerous and significant archaeological finds. There is a cave called "Grotta del Vecchiuzzo" near today's town, which dates back to 3000 years BC., in the Paleolithic and Neolithic period. The path up to the age of the Greek colonization is difficult to follow (750-730 BC), while it is certain the presence in the area of the Romans, came to Sicily as conquerors. In the 3rd century BC, with the Roman conquest, Petra became a "decuman" city and a center of some importance as military garrison and agricultural market, as witnessed by several writings of the time (among others Cicero in "Verrine" and Diodoro Siculo) and from a few archaeological finds. The town then followed the fate of the rest of the island undergoing the first barbarian invasions and the subsequent Byzantine reconquest.
With the Arab conquest, in the 9th century, it was renamed "Batarliah" or "Batraliah" and became an important strategic military stronghold and market. Some dialect expressions or denominations of districts and a precious bronze candelabrum, part of the rich treasure of the Mother Church are survivors of the Arab presence. The Normans conquered Petralia around 1062, founding a castle there. The center, first subdued to that Maimun Gaito, perhaps already Arab emir, was then state-owned land for Gilberto di Monforte (1201) and the Ventimiglia di Geraci, during the Swabian period. Then came the Moncada, the Cardona and the Álvarez de Toledo, until the abolition of feudalism in 1817.
The cathedral of Petralia Sottana is the main church of the town, commonly referred to as "madrice" or "Mother Church", and named after Maria Santissima Assunta. It has fine decorations, including works by Giuseppe Salerno, called Zoppo di Gangi, and Gagini, the Statue of San Calogero, patron saint of the town, as well as numerous paintings and sculptures of sacred art from a period from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century. The Church of San Francesco d’ Assisi is adorned with precious frescoes and stuccos that narrate the episodes of the saint of Assisi’s life. It holds many paintings of high artistic value, including a work by Zoppo di Gangi, which depicts the saint in the act of receiving the stigmata. You should also consider the Church of Santo Spirito, the Church of Santa Maria alla Fontana, the former Convent of the Frati Minori Riformati, Palazzo del Giglio (Town Hall), and a Civic Museum, where there are a geological collection and an archaeological section, which houses the findings of the precious Collisani’s collection.
Petralia is not only a town rich in religious tradition, but it also has a calendar full of many cultural and folk events, which take place throughout the year. Moreover, Petralia is also a crossing point from where you can easily reach places full of nature trails, such as San Brancato Bridge or the nearby mountain village of Piano Battaglia.
15 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Petralia Sottana
A very characteristic and small madonita village, it is inserted in the circuit of the orange flags of the Italian Touring Club. It is located in the heart of the Madonie Park, 1,000 meter a.s.l.
The origins of Petralia Sottana are very distant, and validated by numerous and significant archaeological finds. There is a cave called "Grotta del Vecchiuzzo" near today's town, which dates back to 3000 years BC., in the Paleolithic and Neolithic period. The path up to the age of the Greek colonization is difficult to follow (750-730 BC), while it is certain the presence in the area of the Romans, came to Sicily as conquerors. In the 3rd century BC, with the Roman conquest, Petra became a "decuman" city and a center of some importance as military garrison and agricultural market, as witnessed by several writings of the time (among others Cicero in "Verrine" and Diodoro Siculo) and from a few archaeological finds. The town then followed the fate of the rest of the island undergoing the first barbarian invasions and the subsequent Byzantine reconquest.
With the Arab conquest, in the 9th century, it was renamed "Batarliah" or "Batraliah" and became an important strategic military stronghold and market. Some dialect expressions or denominations of districts and a precious bronze candelabrum, part of the rich treasure of the Mother Church are survivors of the Arab presence. The Normans conquered Petralia around 1062, founding a castle there. The center, first subdued to that Maimun Gaito, perhaps already Arab emir, was then state-owned land for Gilberto di Monforte (1201) and the Ventimiglia di Geraci, during the Swabian period. Then came the Moncada, the Cardona and the Álvarez de Toledo, until the abolition of feudalism in 1817.
The cathedral of Petralia Sottana is the main church of the town, commonly referred to as "madrice" or "Mother Church", and named after Maria Santissima Assunta. It has fine decorations, including works by Giuseppe Salerno, called Zoppo di Gangi, and Gagini, the Statue of San Calogero, patron saint of the town, as well as numerous paintings and sculptures of sacred art from a period from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century. The Church of San Francesco d’ Assisi is adorned with precious frescoes and stuccos that narrate the episodes of the saint of Assisi’s life. It holds many paintings of high artistic value, including a work by Zoppo di Gangi, which depicts the saint in the act of receiving the stigmata. You should also consider the Church of Santo Spirito, the Church of Santa Maria alla Fontana, the former Convent of the Frati Minori Riformati, Palazzo del Giglio (Town Hall), and a Civic Museum, where there are a geological collection and an archaeological section, which houses the findings of the precious Collisani’s collection.
Petralia is not only a town rich in religious tradition, but it also has a calendar full of many cultural and folk events, which take place throughout the year. Moreover, Petralia is also a crossing point from where you can easily reach places full of nature trails, such as San Brancato Bridge or the nearby mountain village of Piano Battaglia.
The highest municipality of the Madonie and the province of Palermo, it is in the club “I Borghi più belli d’Italia”. It rises to 1147 meter a.s.l., dominating a wide landscape that ranges from the snowy peaks of Etna to the city of Enna, the mountains of Palermo and the wide valleys and the waterways of the surrounding countryside. The suggestion that arouses the view from the Petralia plateau is intense, in the days when the stratified clouds at the lower altitudes offer suspended landscapes and poignant sunsets.
It is supposed that the origins of Petralia date back to ancient Petra, a city founded by Sicanians to defend themselves well from the constant attacks of the enemy. Even today, the town preserves the medieval urban structure, with the typical narrow streets that wind through noble palaces and churches, with squares surrounded by suggestive constructions or overlooking a belvedere (panoramic viewpoint) and then the small inner courtyards enlivened by flowers. The inhabitants of Soprana are resident in 32 villages or hamlets (territorial subdivision of Petralia Soprana), some of which are several kilometers away.
Scattered in the territory in the valley marked by the river Salso, the villages and small rural settlements arose between the 16th and 18th centuries, due to the policy of repopulation of the countryside and the need to expand the agricultural crops. Actual communities, which are characterized by a simple and balanced urban planning and architectural organization. It is worthwhile visiting the hamlets of Miranti, Salinelle and Fiscelli, or the remains of a Roman aqueduct, not far from the town, in Contrada Cerasella.
At the gates of Petralia Soprana is Sgadari Villa, one of the most interesting suburban residences of the Madonie, which shows the elegance of the architectural lines inserted with wisdom in the environmental context. The arch of Porta Seri, residue of the city walls, is located at the beginning of the historic town. Continuing on Corso Umberto, you meet the Municipal building, formerly the Convent of the Carmelitani Scalzi, in neo-Gothic style. In via Generale Medici, the Church of the Collegio di Maria stands out. Renovated in the 16th century, inside, it presents eighteenth-century stucco, a Crucifixion of the 17th century and a beautiful fifteenth-century statue of the Madonna del Carmelo.
The Mother Church of Santi Apostoli Pietro e Paolo was refounded in the 14th century, and amended during the 18th century; the Municipal Library is full of interesting documents from the 15th and 16th centuries. Another interesting monument is the eighteenth-century Church of Santissimo Salvatore, in via Cavour, with its mighty dome and a fifteenth-century icon from the Gagini school on its inside. After passing Piazza San Michele, with the beautiful Renaissance church dedicated to the Saint, you reach the Church of Santa Maria di Loreto, which, in addition to some valuable sculptures, has a suggestive sacristy with frescoes on the ceiling and walls. Proceeding to the north, to the limits of the inhabited area, you can recognize the ruins of the Norman castle; in the same direction, coming out of Petralia, you runs along the seventeenth-century Convent of Santa Maria di Gesù dei Padri Riformati.
In Petralia Soprana and its fractions, numerous religious and non-religious events take place. One in particular takes place in mid-August: a re-enactment of a baronial wedding, where you can relive the eighteenth-century marriage between two nobles of the place.
29 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Petralia Soprana
The highest municipality of the Madonie and the province of Palermo, it is in the club “I Borghi più belli d’Italia”. It rises to 1147 meter a.s.l., dominating a wide landscape that ranges from the snowy peaks of Etna to the city of Enna, the mountains of Palermo and the wide valleys and the waterways of the surrounding countryside. The suggestion that arouses the view from the Petralia plateau is intense, in the days when the stratified clouds at the lower altitudes offer suspended landscapes and poignant sunsets.
It is supposed that the origins of Petralia date back to ancient Petra, a city founded by Sicanians to defend themselves well from the constant attacks of the enemy. Even today, the town preserves the medieval urban structure, with the typical narrow streets that wind through noble palaces and churches, with squares surrounded by suggestive constructions or overlooking a belvedere (panoramic viewpoint) and then the small inner courtyards enlivened by flowers. The inhabitants of Soprana are resident in 32 villages or hamlets (territorial subdivision of Petralia Soprana), some of which are several kilometers away.
Scattered in the territory in the valley marked by the river Salso, the villages and small rural settlements arose between the 16th and 18th centuries, due to the policy of repopulation of the countryside and the need to expand the agricultural crops. Actual communities, which are characterized by a simple and balanced urban planning and architectural organization. It is worthwhile visiting the hamlets of Miranti, Salinelle and Fiscelli, or the remains of a Roman aqueduct, not far from the town, in Contrada Cerasella.
At the gates of Petralia Soprana is Sgadari Villa, one of the most interesting suburban residences of the Madonie, which shows the elegance of the architectural lines inserted with wisdom in the environmental context. The arch of Porta Seri, residue of the city walls, is located at the beginning of the historic town. Continuing on Corso Umberto, you meet the Municipal building, formerly the Convent of the Carmelitani Scalzi, in neo-Gothic style. In via Generale Medici, the Church of the Collegio di Maria stands out. Renovated in the 16th century, inside, it presents eighteenth-century stucco, a Crucifixion of the 17th century and a beautiful fifteenth-century statue of the Madonna del Carmelo.
The Mother Church of Santi Apostoli Pietro e Paolo was refounded in the 14th century, and amended during the 18th century; the Municipal Library is full of interesting documents from the 15th and 16th centuries. Another interesting monument is the eighteenth-century Church of Santissimo Salvatore, in via Cavour, with its mighty dome and a fifteenth-century icon from the Gagini school on its inside. After passing Piazza San Michele, with the beautiful Renaissance church dedicated to the Saint, you reach the Church of Santa Maria di Loreto, which, in addition to some valuable sculptures, has a suggestive sacristy with frescoes on the ceiling and walls. Proceeding to the north, to the limits of the inhabited area, you can recognize the ruins of the Norman castle; in the same direction, coming out of Petralia, you runs along the seventeenth-century Convent of Santa Maria di Gesù dei Padri Riformati.
In Petralia Soprana and its fractions, numerous religious and non-religious events take place. One in particular takes place in mid-August: a re-enactment of a baronial wedding, where you can relive the eighteenth-century marriage between two nobles of the place.
Geraci Siculo is included in the club of “I borghi più belli d’Italia”. The town, perched on the rocky back of a hill and dominated by the ruins of a castle, has an urban structure in which the medieval imprint is still evident, with narrow and winding streets that widen both in "alleys" and in “courtyards ", real underpasses that recall Arab architecture. Nowadays, most of the "alleys" can be passed through by cars.
The name of the town has Greek origins (from Jerax, vulture) and alludes to its ancient origin as a fortified place, an impervious fortress overflown by birds of prey. Impressive ruins of a fortress rise to the west of the mountain town on a steep cliff. According to studies and sources, the fortress was probably built by Greek-Byzantines, who were followed by the passage of Muslims, witnessed by a Moorish window, while it was transformed by Normans for war needs. It became a real military fortress because of the Aragonese and the Ventimiglia. From the remains you can see the severed corners of the towers, the slits of the loopholes, the Moorish window, the heavy arches of the underground passages, inside, empty cisterns or filled with debris.
The Church of Sant’ Anna is very well preserved. The Gothic chapel, added in the 14th century, reigns over the ruins. The skull of St. Anne (the skull) was preserved on its inside, later it was transferred to Castelbuono. The Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, from the late Middle Ages, has a beautiful ogival portal and a majestic bell tower, holds two sculptures of the "Madonna" (16th century) from the Gagini school, and even owns an exceptional treasure on its inside, with numerous sacred goldsmith works (14th-18th centuries).
Among the other things, you can visit: the watering place of Santissima Trinità, the Church of San Bartolomeo (with a marble aedicule, 15th-16th century, by Antonello Gagini,), the Church of Santa Maria della Porta (with a late Gothic lateral portal, 1496; and the "Madonna con Bambino" from Gagini school), the Church of Santo Stefano (with an octagonal plan, and a bell tower surmounted by a conical cusp covered with polychrome majolica, 17th-18th century), the Church of San Giuliano, with the Benedictine monastery.
Every year, during the first week of August, the “Giostra dei Ventimiglia” takes place. A historical-re-enactment event that includes parades in 14th century costumes, knightly games, falcon performances in hunting simulation, medieval cuisine, music and medieval representations, high school horse performances, cultural meetings and the reintroduction of Ventimiglia coin.
12 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Geraci Siculo
Geraci Siculo is included in the club of “I borghi più belli d’Italia”. The town, perched on the rocky back of a hill and dominated by the ruins of a castle, has an urban structure in which the medieval imprint is still evident, with narrow and winding streets that widen both in "alleys" and in “courtyards ", real underpasses that recall Arab architecture. Nowadays, most of the "alleys" can be passed through by cars.
The name of the town has Greek origins (from Jerax, vulture) and alludes to its ancient origin as a fortified place, an impervious fortress overflown by birds of prey. Impressive ruins of a fortress rise to the west of the mountain town on a steep cliff. According to studies and sources, the fortress was probably built by Greek-Byzantines, who were followed by the passage of Muslims, witnessed by a Moorish window, while it was transformed by Normans for war needs. It became a real military fortress because of the Aragonese and the Ventimiglia. From the remains you can see the severed corners of the towers, the slits of the loopholes, the Moorish window, the heavy arches of the underground passages, inside, empty cisterns or filled with debris.
The Church of Sant’ Anna is very well preserved. The Gothic chapel, added in the 14th century, reigns over the ruins. The skull of St. Anne (the skull) was preserved on its inside, later it was transferred to Castelbuono. The Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, from the late Middle Ages, has a beautiful ogival portal and a majestic bell tower, holds two sculptures of the "Madonna" (16th century) from the Gagini school, and even owns an exceptional treasure on its inside, with numerous sacred goldsmith works (14th-18th centuries).
Among the other things, you can visit: the watering place of Santissima Trinità, the Church of San Bartolomeo (with a marble aedicule, 15th-16th century, by Antonello Gagini,), the Church of Santa Maria della Porta (with a late Gothic lateral portal, 1496; and the "Madonna con Bambino" from Gagini school), the Church of Santo Stefano (with an octagonal plan, and a bell tower surmounted by a conical cusp covered with polychrome majolica, 17th-18th century), the Church of San Giuliano, with the Benedictine monastery.
Every year, during the first week of August, the “Giostra dei Ventimiglia” takes place. A historical-re-enactment event that includes parades in 14th century costumes, knightly games, falcon performances in hunting simulation, medieval cuisine, music and medieval representations, high school horse performances, cultural meetings and the reintroduction of Ventimiglia coin.
In the shadow of Etna, Gangi is the most titled medieval village in Italy, is part of the "Comuni Gioiello d 'Italia" and it won in the Italian ranking of "I Borghi più belli d’Italia" in 2014. The town stands on the ruins of a Hellenic settlement, in an internal mountain area at 1,050 meters a.s.l. The ancient Sicilian village shows up to the eyes of the visitor with a breathtaking view, on the background of green hills.
The streets climb up like clews, leading from one courtyard to another. The houses, compact and leaning against each other, form a single agglomeration, made up of ancient churches with high bell towers, such as the Mother Church, and beautiful noble palaces. From the spectacular viewpoint of Piazza del Popolo, you can admire the valley below and the mantle of roofs, while the majestic cone of Etna is visible from Piazza San Paolo. Gangi is dominated by the castle that stands on a peak at more than a thousand meters in height and nowadays it is privately owned.
Going up the streets of the town, you get to an authentic medieval village. The historic center was completely rebuilt in the 1300s following the destruction in 1299 during the Vespers war. History tells us, through the documents, that in 1195 Gangi, even then on Monte Marone, belonged to the county of Geraci. Such as all medieval towns, it was surrounded by high walls, marked by a few access doors and defense towers. From the mid-13th century onwards, and until 1625, Gangi will belong to the Ventimiglia. Enrico Ventimiglia was succeeded by his nephew Francesco I, who has the attribution of the establishment of the Castle and the construction of the square tower, now known as Torre dei Ventimiglia. In the 1500s, Gangi found prestige in two artists: Giuseppe Salerno (called Zoppo di Gangi) and Gaspare Vazzano, whose works, scattered throughout Sicily, still enchant today.
In the eighteenth century, numerous academies of scholars, including that of the industrious, arose in Gangi, while some noble palaces were built, including Palazzo Bongiorno, Palazzo Sgadari, seat of the Civic Museum, Palazzo Mocciaro, which will mark the urban fabric of the madonita town in the nineteenth century, as an expression of the last landed nobility.
Walking through the streets you can see what history has left us: the Mother Church of San Nicolò di Bari, with its crypt of the dead priests, today connected with the imposing Ventimiglia Tower, which, with its arches, acts as a vestibule at the main entrance of the building; the Sanctuary of Holy Spirit, the Church of San Paolo (15th century), the Saracen Tower, located on the edge of the vast green area belonging to the Capuchin Convent, the Church of Badia and the Church of Madonna della Catena, where there is a splendid marble statue of Gagini and the Zoppo di Gangi’s tomb.
Nowadays, several traditions are linked to the past, including the feast of the Holy Spirit, the feast of San Cataldo and the Sagra della Spiga. The Sagra, which takes place on the second Sunday of August, recalls the customs, traditions and culture of rural life of the past, interweaving them with pagan mythology, especially with the celebration of Demeter’s myth.
30 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Gangi, Sicily
In the shadow of Etna, Gangi is the most titled medieval village in Italy, is part of the "Comuni Gioiello d 'Italia" and it won in the Italian ranking of "I Borghi più belli d’Italia" in 2014. The town stands on the ruins of a Hellenic settlement, in an internal mountain area at 1,050 meters a.s.l. The ancient Sicilian village shows up to the eyes of the visitor with a breathtaking view, on the background of green hills.
The streets climb up like clews, leading from one courtyard to another. The houses, compact and leaning against each other, form a single agglomeration, made up of ancient churches with high bell towers, such as the Mother Church, and beautiful noble palaces. From the spectacular viewpoint of Piazza del Popolo, you can admire the valley below and the mantle of roofs, while the majestic cone of Etna is visible from Piazza San Paolo. Gangi is dominated by the castle that stands on a peak at more than a thousand meters in height and nowadays it is privately owned.
Going up the streets of the town, you get to an authentic medieval village. The historic center was completely rebuilt in the 1300s following the destruction in 1299 during the Vespers war. History tells us, through the documents, that in 1195 Gangi, even then on Monte Marone, belonged to the county of Geraci. Such as all medieval towns, it was surrounded by high walls, marked by a few access doors and defense towers. From the mid-13th century onwards, and until 1625, Gangi will belong to the Ventimiglia. Enrico Ventimiglia was succeeded by his nephew Francesco I, who has the attribution of the establishment of the Castle and the construction of the square tower, now known as Torre dei Ventimiglia. In the 1500s, Gangi found prestige in two artists: Giuseppe Salerno (called Zoppo di Gangi) and Gaspare Vazzano, whose works, scattered throughout Sicily, still enchant today.
In the eighteenth century, numerous academies of scholars, including that of the industrious, arose in Gangi, while some noble palaces were built, including Palazzo Bongiorno, Palazzo Sgadari, seat of the Civic Museum, Palazzo Mocciaro, which will mark the urban fabric of the madonita town in the nineteenth century, as an expression of the last landed nobility.
Walking through the streets you can see what history has left us: the Mother Church of San Nicolò di Bari, with its crypt of the dead priests, today connected with the imposing Ventimiglia Tower, which, with its arches, acts as a vestibule at the main entrance of the building; the Sanctuary of Holy Spirit, the Church of San Paolo (15th century), the Saracen Tower, located on the edge of the vast green area belonging to the Capuchin Convent, the Church of Badia and the Church of Madonna della Catena, where there is a splendid marble statue of Gagini and the Zoppo di Gangi’s tomb.
Nowadays, several traditions are linked to the past, including the feast of the Holy Spirit, the feast of San Cataldo and the Sagra della Spiga. The Sagra, which takes place on the second Sunday of August, recalls the customs, traditions and culture of rural life of the past, interweaving them with pagan mythology, especially with the celebration of Demeter’s myth.
Medieval village that owes its origins to Ventimiglia, Lords of the County of Geraci, who in the early 1300s decided to build a castle on the hill overlooking the ancient farmhouse of "Ypsigro". Castelbuono is located at the foot of the Madonie, a few kilometers from the sea, in a pleasant valley, already inhabited in the Neolithic and full of Greek, Roman, Arab and Byzantine memories.
In 1316 Francesco I of Ventimiglia, counts of Geraci and relatives of Federico II, built a castle in there, according to the model of the keep which the residence links to, using the structure that already dominated Ypsigro, a small farmhouse that had 300 inhabitants in 1282. The construction of the castle makes this small community grow so much that in 1454, when Giovanni I moved there with his "court", Castelbuono became the liveliest center in the vast patrimony of Ventimiglia. Giovanni brought with him the most important sign of the value of the family: the sacred Relic of the skull of St. Anne, donated to Guglielmo by the Duke of Lorraine. The Castle and St. Anna, patron saint of the town, will be the two pins of many events in Castelbuono, the Ventimiglia’s "capital".
What to visit: the Church of Maria Santissima Assunta - Matrice Vecchia, inside which we find the crypt containing medieval, renaissance and baroque frescoes; the Church of the Nativity of Mary, Matrice Nuova; the Castle, which has the Palatine Chapel of S. Anna on its inside; the Fountain of Venus Ciprea (15th century), placed at the center of the "old land", today the main course, is the fountain that decorated the entrance of the ancient Ypsigro; the Civic Museum and the Naturalistic Museum “Francesco Mina Palumbo”, located in via Roma, in which, in addition to the extensive naturalistic collection of the same name, there is a small archaeological section, which documents the existence of some ancient Neolithic settlements and the passage of different cultures. The museum mainly develops around collections of minerals, fossils and the herbarium with the spontaneous flora of the Madonie, the plants of agrarian and pathological interest, birds and insects, and lastly a rich library.
Artisanship is still very flourishing in Castelbuono, especially the one relating to typical confectionery products, which are also very popular abroad. You can taste Easter doves and eggs decorated by hand, panettone, almond products, biscuits of various shapes and types and a delicious homemade bread. For years now, the affirmation and prestige achieved by some wineries and oil companies have been relevant, whose highest quality products are exported worldwide.
During the first or second week of August, the musical event of the Ypsigrock festival takes place. Born in 1997, it has become one of the most important Italian Music festivals. Other events include the "Castelbuono Jazz Festival", Castelbuono Classica. Castelbuono is also rich in gastronomic festivals, including the Funghi Fest.
102 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Castelbuono
Medieval village that owes its origins to Ventimiglia, Lords of the County of Geraci, who in the early 1300s decided to build a castle on the hill overlooking the ancient farmhouse of "Ypsigro". Castelbuono is located at the foot of the Madonie, a few kilometers from the sea, in a pleasant valley, already inhabited in the Neolithic and full of Greek, Roman, Arab and Byzantine memories.
In 1316 Francesco I of Ventimiglia, counts of Geraci and relatives of Federico II, built a castle in there, according to the model of the keep which the residence links to, using the structure that already dominated Ypsigro, a small farmhouse that had 300 inhabitants in 1282. The construction of the castle makes this small community grow so much that in 1454, when Giovanni I moved there with his "court", Castelbuono became the liveliest center in the vast patrimony of Ventimiglia. Giovanni brought with him the most important sign of the value of the family: the sacred Relic of the skull of St. Anne, donated to Guglielmo by the Duke of Lorraine. The Castle and St. Anna, patron saint of the town, will be the two pins of many events in Castelbuono, the Ventimiglia’s "capital".
What to visit: the Church of Maria Santissima Assunta - Matrice Vecchia, inside which we find the crypt containing medieval, renaissance and baroque frescoes; the Church of the Nativity of Mary, Matrice Nuova; the Castle, which has the Palatine Chapel of S. Anna on its inside; the Fountain of Venus Ciprea (15th century), placed at the center of the "old land", today the main course, is the fountain that decorated the entrance of the ancient Ypsigro; the Civic Museum and the Naturalistic Museum “Francesco Mina Palumbo”, located in via Roma, in which, in addition to the extensive naturalistic collection of the same name, there is a small archaeological section, which documents the existence of some ancient Neolithic settlements and the passage of different cultures. The museum mainly develops around collections of minerals, fossils and the herbarium with the spontaneous flora of the Madonie, the plants of agrarian and pathological interest, birds and insects, and lastly a rich library.
Artisanship is still very flourishing in Castelbuono, especially the one relating to typical confectionery products, which are also very popular abroad. You can taste Easter doves and eggs decorated by hand, panettone, almond products, biscuits of various shapes and types and a delicious homemade bread. For years now, the affirmation and prestige achieved by some wineries and oil companies have been relevant, whose highest quality products are exported worldwide.
During the first or second week of August, the musical event of the Ypsigrock festival takes place. Born in 1997, it has become one of the most important Italian Music festivals. Other events include the "Castelbuono Jazz Festival", Castelbuono Classica. Castelbuono is also rich in gastronomic festivals, including the Funghi Fest.
Norman seaside village, a bathing destination and a gateway to the Madonie. Inserted in the UNESCO list of world heritage of humanity, it is part of “I Borghi più belli d’Italia”. Cefalù is a land of myth. From the most ancient human habitation of Cefalù, we find prehistoric traces in two caves, which are located on the northern slope of the Rocca, called "delle giumente" and "delle colombe." Ras Melkart (Ercole’s promontory) is the Punic name of the city, Kephaloidion is the Greek one.
The City, although boasting ancient mythological and legendary origins, would be an indigenous center of the late fifth century BC, as evidenced by the archaeological finds, which became flourishing and prosperous thanks to contacts with the people who ran the businesses in Sicily at that time. Traces of the Hellenistic-Roman road system are scattered all over the city, while the so-called temple of Diana, on the rock, is from the same period of the walls. It is a megalithic building, perhaps linked to a water cult. In 1063, the Grand Count Ruggero took possession of the city, helped in the fight against the Arabs by a citizen of Cefalù, Rodulfo Rufo, alias Raul. Ruggero II definitively returned Cefalù to Christianity, first establishing the Church of San Giorgio (1129) and then the Cathedral-Basilica (1131).
Moving a few steps inside the historic center, you realize how vast the monumental heritage of the city is: coming from the sea, on your left, there is the "Medieval" washhouse, mouth of the Cefalino river; the river, born from the mountains behind Gratteri, reaches Cefalù through an underground path, reinforcing that ancestral link between sea and mountains, which has permeated the history of Cefalù and the Madonie area. The medieval structure is also evident continuing through the narrow streets, paved with the pebbles of the beach and the limestone of the Rocca di Cefalù. Once you reach the main square, you can admire the Cathedral, declared Unesco Heritage in 2015. Characterized by an Arab-Norman style, it has a Latin cross plan, a cloister with a rectangular plan and several mosaics inside it, including the Christ Pantocrator.
The City also has other important artworks, such as: the Church of the Addolorata, the Church of the Catena, the Osterio Magno, ancient Norman fortress, the Church of the Purgatory, the former Convent of Santa Caterina, the Oratory of Sacramento and the Bishop's Palace, and again, the Mandralisca Museum and the Rocca with the Temple of Diana. 15 km from Cefalù is the Sanctuary of Gibilmanna (800 meters a.s l.), an interesting place of worship and a destination for pilgrimages, among dense vegetation of chestnut, oak and ash trees. Inside the sanctuary is a baroque altar with polychrome marble of exquisite workmanship, originally executed for the Cathedral of Palermo by the sculptor Baldassare Pampillonia.
The town of Cefalù is part of the Circuito dei Borghi Marinari, a consortium engaged in the promotion and protection of the sea, and of the culture and the traditions linked to it. Cefalù, nowadays frequented by an international audience, offers everyone a clean sea with a beautiful coastline, services and cultural itineraries rich in myth, history and nature. Its territory, in fact, offers beautiful walks that allow you to enjoy the surrounding nature.
401 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Cefalù
Norman seaside village, a bathing destination and a gateway to the Madonie. Inserted in the UNESCO list of world heritage of humanity, it is part of “I Borghi più belli d’Italia”. Cefalù is a land of myth. From the most ancient human habitation of Cefalù, we find prehistoric traces in two caves, which are located on the northern slope of the Rocca, called "delle giumente" and "delle colombe." Ras Melkart (Ercole’s promontory) is the Punic name of the city, Kephaloidion is the Greek one.
The City, although boasting ancient mythological and legendary origins, would be an indigenous center of the late fifth century BC, as evidenced by the archaeological finds, which became flourishing and prosperous thanks to contacts with the people who ran the businesses in Sicily at that time. Traces of the Hellenistic-Roman road system are scattered all over the city, while the so-called temple of Diana, on the rock, is from the same period of the walls. It is a megalithic building, perhaps linked to a water cult. In 1063, the Grand Count Ruggero took possession of the city, helped in the fight against the Arabs by a citizen of Cefalù, Rodulfo Rufo, alias Raul. Ruggero II definitively returned Cefalù to Christianity, first establishing the Church of San Giorgio (1129) and then the Cathedral-Basilica (1131).
Moving a few steps inside the historic center, you realize how vast the monumental heritage of the city is: coming from the sea, on your left, there is the "Medieval" washhouse, mouth of the Cefalino river; the river, born from the mountains behind Gratteri, reaches Cefalù through an underground path, reinforcing that ancestral link between sea and mountains, which has permeated the history of Cefalù and the Madonie area. The medieval structure is also evident continuing through the narrow streets, paved with the pebbles of the beach and the limestone of the Rocca di Cefalù. Once you reach the main square, you can admire the Cathedral, declared Unesco Heritage in 2015. Characterized by an Arab-Norman style, it has a Latin cross plan, a cloister with a rectangular plan and several mosaics inside it, including the Christ Pantocrator.
The City also has other important artworks, such as: the Church of the Addolorata, the Church of the Catena, the Osterio Magno, ancient Norman fortress, the Church of the Purgatory, the former Convent of Santa Caterina, the Oratory of Sacramento and the Bishop's Palace, and again, the Mandralisca Museum and the Rocca with the Temple of Diana. 15 km from Cefalù is the Sanctuary of Gibilmanna (800 meters a.s l.), an interesting place of worship and a destination for pilgrimages, among dense vegetation of chestnut, oak and ash trees. Inside the sanctuary is a baroque altar with polychrome marble of exquisite workmanship, originally executed for the Cathedral of Palermo by the sculptor Baldassare Pampillonia.
The town of Cefalù is part of the Circuito dei Borghi Marinari, a consortium engaged in the promotion and protection of the sea, and of the culture and the traditions linked to it. Cefalù, nowadays frequented by an international audience, offers everyone a clean sea with a beautiful coastline, services and cultural itineraries rich in myth, history and nature. Its territory, in fact, offers beautiful walks that allow you to enjoy the surrounding nature.
The sanctuary rises in the territory of the Municipality of Blufi at 660 m s.l.m. The existence of a church at the place of today's sanctuary has been witnessed since the Middle Ages. The stones that are at the edge of the predella of the altar might be of the 12th century, while the small bell bears the date of 1135.
The denomination "Madonna dell‘Olio" may derive from the nearby source of mineral oil, used as a remedy for some skin diseases, but it cannot be excluded that the name might refer to the presence of olive groves in the area in ancient times, which would have given its name to the torrent Olive, which laps the hill of the sanctuary, then flowing into the Imera Meridionale river in a place called "Oliva" or "Giardini d'Oliva".
Santuario della Madonna dell'Olio
The sanctuary rises in the territory of the Municipality of Blufi at 660 m s.l.m. The existence of a church at the place of today's sanctuary has been witnessed since the Middle Ages. The stones that are at the edge of the predella of the altar might be of the 12th century, while the small bell bears the date of 1135.
The denomination "Madonna dell‘Olio" may derive from the nearby source of mineral oil, used as a remedy for some skin diseases, but it cannot be excluded that the name might refer to the presence of olive groves in the area in ancient times, which would have given its name to the torrent Olive, which laps the hill of the sanctuary, then flowing into the Imera Meridionale river in a place called "Oliva" or "Giardini d'Oliva".
The sanctuary of Madonna dell'alto is a place of Christian worship where the Virgin Mary is venerated, on top of Monte Alto (1819 m s.l.m.), in the Madonie (Sicily). The sanctuary consists of a church, a sacristy and a hermitage with rooms to accommodate pilgrims. The sanctuary has remote origins but probably dates back to the 13th century.
On the altar of the church of medieval origin, is a marble statue of the Madonna dell'Alto, dated 1471, which is attributed to the sculptor Domenico Gagini. The sanctuary is a common destination for pilgrimages. Pilgrimages are very frequent in summer and especially in the days of the fortnight and in the feasts celebrated on August 14, with the suggestive torchlight at night, and on August 15, with the very solemn solemn procession of the statue of the Madonna dell'Alto around the sanctuary.
Santuario della Madonna dell'Alto
The sanctuary of Madonna dell'alto is a place of Christian worship where the Virgin Mary is venerated, on top of Monte Alto (1819 m s.l.m.), in the Madonie (Sicily). The sanctuary consists of a church, a sacristy and a hermitage with rooms to accommodate pilgrims. The sanctuary has remote origins but probably dates back to the 13th century.
On the altar of the church of medieval origin, is a marble statue of the Madonna dell'Alto, dated 1471, which is attributed to the sculptor Domenico Gagini. The sanctuary is a common destination for pilgrimages. Pilgrimages are very frequent in summer and especially in the days of the fortnight and in the feasts celebrated on August 14, with the suggestive torchlight at night, and on August 15, with the very solemn solemn procession of the statue of the Madonna dell'Alto around the sanctuary.
Shortly after Petralia Sottana, in the heart of “Park of Madonie”, is the first adventure park of Sicily. A new funny, safe world to get close the nature to discover, respect and know. This will allow visitors to have a better understanding of the surroundings of this beautiful environment.
The "Madonie Adventure Park" invites to experience new and interesting outdoor experiences, full of sport and fun. All the Park activities take place in a natural setting. The Park is the perfect place for a day or a week immersed in the green. Thanks to its facilities, you can try exciting acrobatic courses, exciting mountain bike trails, orienteering challenges and nature hikes: experience nature in a land to discover.
49 Recomendado por los habitantes de la zona
Parco Avventura Madonie
Località GorgoneroShortly after Petralia Sottana, in the heart of “Park of Madonie”, is the first adventure park of Sicily. A new funny, safe world to get close the nature to discover, respect and know. This will allow visitors to have a better understanding of the surroundings of this beautiful environment.
The "Madonie Adventure Park" invites to experience new and interesting outdoor experiences, full of sport and fun. All the Park activities take place in a natural setting. The Park is the perfect place for a day or a week immersed in the green. Thanks to its facilities, you can try exciting acrobatic courses, exciting mountain bike trails, orienteering challenges and nature hikes: experience nature in a land to discover.
During the Christmas period, the tradition of Nativity scene is alive almost all Madonita villages. Among these, it is advisable to visit the Presepe di Locati for free.
The Nativity Scene, through animated characters, represents the crafts, like the blacksmith or the carpenter, on a background that shows the distinctive features of the Madonie, such as valleys, mountains, streams of crystalline water. Even the small houses and humble villages recall the typical Madonita context: from the stone of the quarries to the terracotta of the tiles, from the plasterboard plastered with lime to the paper material. The representation of the nativity is also characterized by a scenario that alternates day and night, thanks to the use of electronics.
Locati
During the Christmas period, the tradition of Nativity scene is alive almost all Madonita villages. Among these, it is advisable to visit the Presepe di Locati for free.
The Nativity Scene, through animated characters, represents the crafts, like the blacksmith or the carpenter, on a background that shows the distinctive features of the Madonie, such as valleys, mountains, streams of crystalline water. Even the small houses and humble villages recall the typical Madonita context: from the stone of the quarries to the terracotta of the tiles, from the plasterboard plastered with lime to the paper material. The representation of the nativity is also characterized by a scenario that alternates day and night, thanks to the use of electronics.
The virtual archeology museum (MAV) is located in Bompietro and allows a journey through the virtual worlds of ancient Madonite archaeological sites. It will be possible to make a multi-sensory experience in a period ranging from prehistory to the modern era, through three-dimensional viewers, augmented reality and interactive platforms. All virtual reconstructions are based on archaeological studies in sites where only remains of ancient settlements survive nowadays.
The museum is renewing its three-dimensional reconstructions, proposing different contents. The purpose of the museum is to make virtually accessible archaeological sites, not accessible today due to the geomorphological conditions, and tries to make clear, by playing, the archeology and the history of Madonie.
M.A.V. Bompietro
Via FacitelliThe virtual archeology museum (MAV) is located in Bompietro and allows a journey through the virtual worlds of ancient Madonite archaeological sites. It will be possible to make a multi-sensory experience in a period ranging from prehistory to the modern era, through three-dimensional viewers, augmented reality and interactive platforms. All virtual reconstructions are based on archaeological studies in sites where only remains of ancient settlements survive nowadays.
The museum is renewing its three-dimensional reconstructions, proposing different contents. The purpose of the museum is to make virtually accessible archaeological sites, not accessible today due to the geomorphological conditions, and tries to make clear, by playing, the archeology and the history of Madonie.