Walking in the small villages of the Madonie park I felt inside a Fellini film and I discovered a Sicily of other times that left me breathless.
I am Samantha and I often find myself traveling for work, mountain walks always help me to recharge my batteries and clear my mind before an important meeting.
Today I take you for a walk through time, follow me on this journey to Collesano with Francesco to rediscover a black and white Sicily where time seems to have stopped.
Madonie Park
A trip to the Madonie allows you to discover another side of Sicily: that of walking in the mountains and through the narrow streets of small towns not very crowded.
The genuine scents and flavours that I discovered in this area surprised me because they tell a different Sicily from the big tourist centres and if your dream is to travel at a different speed and immerse yourself in unspoilt nature, you’ve come to the right place!
Here you can still find coffee for less than one Euro and the old people sitting in front of the door seem to be just waiting for someone to tell all the stories of their beloved country.
If you are as passionate about the mountains as I am, inside the park you will find trails and excursions suitable for all levels of experience and for the more daring there is also a sort of all-Sicilian Santiago trail: la Via dei Frati.
The via dei Frati is a route along provincial roads, trazzere, dirt tracks and mountain paths for 173.2 km from Caltanissetta to Cefalù.
This path was created to walk through the Sicilian hinterland (therefore also the area of the Madonie Park) as for centuries the questing Friars did, who moved from the major convents to the countryside to collect the offerings to bring to their brothers, in a spirit of humility and sharing what little they had with the neediest people.
At each stage you can find places of hospitality that welcome travellers with their own spirit and that will help you to live an unforgettable experience.
Collesano
Collesano is well known among motor racing enthusiasts, because it was one of the stages of the Targa Florio and today houses a museum dedicated to this historical event.
I chose it not only because it remains outside the great tourist circuits and has therefore been able to retain a charm of yesteryear, but also because of its strategic position; it is in fact 30 minutes from the sea, with the splendid Cefalù, and from the Piano Battaglia mountain, where half of Sicily comes to ski in winter.
The thing that impressed me most walking through the streets of the village was the strong presence of the mountain, which seemed to follow us and accompany us along the narrow streets.
You can find the origins of the village in that Monte d’Oro, where the old town of Collesano was born with the first settlement in the Islamic age.
Collesano – what to see
The village is small and visiting its monuments will engage you half an afternoon, I definitely recommend a visit to its castle.
The only image that exists of the castle still intact is the one in the canvas of the “Holy Family” by an unknown author and dated 1688. The earthquake of 1693 made it uninhabitable and the declining and indebted nobility could not take charge of the necessary repairs. Today only the ruins of the Castle remain visible, but it is worth a visit for the breathtaking view with a view that extends to the sea.
Free
Always open
You can park in all areas around the castle.
SUMMARY + TIPS
The Madonie Park amazed me for the timeless charm of its villages and I promised myself to return, so that I could also visit the other villages that I didn’t get to see this time.
Collesano is an excellent starting point from which to move to visit the surroundings and which allows you to live an experience immersed in unspoilt nature.
The best time to visit the Madonie Park is in spring or autumn, ideal times in Sicily if you are a mountain hiking enthusiast like me.
If you love skiing, winter is the best time to visit these villages and the charm of the snow-capped mountains joins that of the many living cribs at Christmas time.
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