An Afternoon in Caltabelotta
-
Take a late afternoon drive from Sciacca up to Caltabellotta . Skip the modern outskirts of town to wander around the narrow streets and piazzettas of Terravecchia, the old medieval centre. Terravecchia lies on a flat plain under the Chiesa Madre founded by Count Roger one year before he took Palermo (see Norman Palermo). It’s newly restored, so admire the entry portal with pointed arch and the bell tower which was originally an old Arabic fortification; inside see the Madonna of the Chain, St Benedict and Madonna and Child – all works by the artist Gagini.
To the north of the church take the little path up the rock to the ruins of the Castelvecchio, the old castle, from which you can look down on Caltabellotta and out over the valley.
On the other side of the plain, opposite the Chiesa Madre, find the tiny church of San Salvatore with its zig-zag decoration around the door. Use the steps carved out of the rock to climb up to the highest point of Monte Castello. Walk around the ruins of Count Roger’s castle, with its single Gothic doorway, and take in one of the most stunning views in Sicily. To the southwest see the coastline from Agrigento (see Agrigento and the Valle dei Templi) to Marsala .
Back in town, stroll from Piazza Umberto I to via Roma in the newer part of the village, where you can have an excellent dinner of mountain fare at the Trattoria Ferla (see Trattoria dei Templi, Agrigento).
Advertisement
-
-
Lake Como Aug08
jasmin
-
Barcelona guide
capule
-
Amsterdam guide
bhaims
-
anna's Venice guide
annanz
-
Sydney guide
bekiba
-
HannahGray's Sydney guide
Hannah
-
-
-
Amisha Gupta's Cyprus guide
Amisha
-
sarojpatel's Rome guide
sarojp
-
Paris guide
ori
-
Rome guide
Travel
-
Crete guide
lizzie
-
-
Raffaella Aprile ChallengeFourteen Nations, 100 riders and more than 250 horses take part in the annual Raffaella Aprile Challenge, held at the recently-built ADIM in Augusta, Sicily. Read more
-
Solmusic FestivalPalermo's Giardino Inglese (English Garden) is the venue for the Solmusic festival, dedicated to emerging local bands. Read more
-
Agira Nativity PlayOn Christmas Eve, the historic town of Agira, near Enna, plays host to a Nativity Play, which begins in the town centre and ends in Agira Castle. More than 100 actors in period costume take part. Read more
-
San Sebastiano in MistrettaA procession to celebrate the martyr San Sebastiano takes place in the streets of Mistretta in January and August every year, featuring live music and colourful religious paraphernalia. Read more
![[+]](/images/button-addtoguide.gif)
symbol, to start adding attractions to your
tailor-made travel guide.
If you were signed in, you could write a review here. Register for a free account, or if you're already a member, sign in.