Sciacca > Itinerary 2

Sciacca is a sunny coastal town well known for its thermal springs, handpainted ceramics and , its beautiful beaches and its Carnival: one of the most colourful in Sicily. The Greeks from Selinunte already appreciated Sciacca as a thermal resort and the baths remained popular with the Romans, who gave Sciacca the name of “Thermae Selinuntinae”. The modern name derives from the Arabian As-Saggah, which means “cleft”, possibly because the town is located in a valley between two hills. In the middle ages Sciacca was fortified by the construction of walls with gates and towers and many of the monuments still visible today were built in the following centuries: Palazzo Steripinto is a 16th century building with a peculiar facade of pointed blocks similar to the Palazzo dei Diamanti in Ferrara and various buildings from the same period in Barcellona.

Very little is left of the Norman Castle but Castello Luna, a late 14th century castle built by the noble family of Peralta and aquired by the Luna family thanks to a convenient marriage, overlooks the entrance to the town. The oldest church in the historical centre of town is the Chiesa di San Nicolò la Latina: despite several reconstructions over the centuries, the original Norman architectural style is still clearly recognisable. The Duomo, dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta, was also built be the Normans but its was drastically redecorated in the 16th century and turned into a perfect baroque style church. Last but non least is the Chiesa di Santa Margherita, built in 1342 by the Chiaramonte family and now a splendid composition of numerous different architectural styles.

The Sanctuary of San Calogero and the annexed Nature Reserve are located on top of Monte Kronio, just above Sciacca.The nature reserve is composed of various grottoes of both naturalistic, archaeological and therapeutical interest due to the natural hot springs, recently reopened after a restoration. The view over the coast and Mediterranean Sea from the Sanctuary of San Calogero is unique and on clear days one can even distinguish Capo Bon on the horizon. At the foot of Monte Kronio, also called Monte San Calogero, there is a fascinating and enigmatic open air sculpture garden called  Castello Incantato: hundreds of faces carved into the rocks are scattered around in the almond- and olive groves. These very original and unique sculptures have been hewn by a local artist called Filippo Bentivegna and have been donated to the public at his death in the sixties