Sentiero della Pace to the Madonna dell'Alto sanctuary

The Sentiero della Pace, CAI 587, climbs from Petralia Sottana to the Madonna dell’Alto sanctuary, one of the highest Marian sanctuaries in Italy, above 1,800 metres. The track on this page starts at Contrada Gisa and is about 9 km, with about 3 hours 30 minutes of walking without stops, almost all uphill. It is an EE route, for experienced hikers, best from spring to autumn.

It is also a walk of devotion: pilgrims have climbed to the sanctuary from these slopes for centuries.

Why walk the Sentiero della Pace

Because it brings together what you look for on a Madonie hike: beech woods, views, history and a place of faith at the top. The Park describes it in exactly those terms, as the trail that links the ancient spirituality of the mountain with the religious life of these villages.

The name dates from 16 May 2004, when it was walked for the “Summit for Peace” initiative. In 2005 CAI Sicilia and the CAI Madonie section of Petralia Sottana signposted it, with a contribution from the Park authority.

What you see along the way

The track on this page starts at Contrada Gisa, above Petralia Sottana, and reaches the rocks of Sant’Otiero, which the Park describes as having strange animal shapes. This was the quarry of “lumachella” stone from which, around 1633, the 12 columns of the Chiesa Madre of Petralia Sottana were cut.

Then you climb the hollow between Cozzo Lampo and Pizzo Inferno to Portella di Mele, at about 1,500 metres. A stone marker shows the start of the shepherds’ and woodcutters’ path, which immediately enters the beech wood and climbs to the small plateaus of Pizzo Inferno, a mushroom area.

From here you traverse below Monte San Salvatore, with views of the two Petralias, the valley villages and, in the distance, Etna. You drop to a saddle with the Fontana della Madonna, and the last stretch leads to the sanctuary.

The sanctuary and the stone ritual

The Madonna dell’Alto sanctuary stands on Monte Alto and holds a statue of the Madonna that the Park attributes to Gagini. The Park describes an ancient ritual for first-time visitors: at the fountain you pick up a pebble with your hands behind your back, carry it between your lips to the sanctuary and dip it in the holy water.

The feasts are on the first Sunday of July, organised by the parish of Calcarelli, and on 15 August, with the parish of Petralia Sottana. According to the Park the sanctuary also opens its guest house and refectory on 12 June and 8 September, and stays open from 1 to 15 August.

The full route and the way back

The Park also describes the whole trail, which starts from the Petralia Sottana hospital, at 952 metres, along the old transhumance drove road towards Castelbuono, and passes the Ponte di San Brancato, a Romanesque humpback bridge. The first two sections, as far as Sant’Otiero, are almost a tourist walk.

To return you can take the dirt road or the old Sentiero dei Pellegrini, which starts near the fountain, drops steeply into the Vallone della Cella and reaches the road of contrada Gisa: from there, in about half an hour, you are in the village.

Who it is for and when to go

Overall it is an EE trail: a long climb, stretches on scree, a beech wood that in some seasons makes the way less obvious. It suits fit hikers in high boots.

Spring and autumn are the best periods. In summer avoid sirocco days. With snow, leave it: CAI too recommends the route via the sanctuary only when there is no snow. Check the weather in Petralia Sottana.

Sleeping, eating and what to combine

The base is Petralia Sottana: where to stay in Petralia Sottana and where to eat in Petralia Sottana. You can also reach the sanctuary on stage 4 of the Via dei Frati, from Polizzi Generosa, and the Portella Mele to sanctuary stretch matches the summer variant of stage V16 of the Sentiero Italia. If you want to reach the summit, read the page on Monte San Salvatore.

Tips

• Carry plenty of water: the only reliable point is the fountain below the sanctuary.
• Layered clothing, sun cream and poles, as the Park advises.
• In autumn check the Park website for “danger zone” notices about wildlife control, which in October 2026 also covered Sant’Otiero.