# Vallone Madonna degli Angeli and the Abies nebrodensis

> The Abies nebrodensis trail in the Vallone Madonna degli Angeli, Polizzi Generosa: where to see the Madonie fir, how to reach it from the SP119 and when to go.

- Page: https://www.lemadonie.it/en/trails/vallone-madonna-degli-angeli-and-the-abies-nebrodensis/
- Updated: 2026-10-19
- Other languages: [Italiano](https://www.lemadonie.it/sentieri/abies-nebrodensis.md) · [Español](https://www.lemadonie.it/es/senderos/vallone-madonna-degli-angeli-y-el-abies-nebrodensis.md) · [Français](https://www.lemadonie.it/fr/sentiers/vallone-madonna-degli-angeli-et-abies-nebrodensis.md) · [Deutsch](https://www.lemadonie.it/de/wanderwege/vallone-madonna-degli-angeli-und-die-nebroden-tanne.md)

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| CAI difficulty | E (Hiking trail) |
| Start | Contrada Quacella, SP119 |
| Route | Loop |
| Best seasons | Spring, Summer, Autumn |
| Villages nearby | [Polizzi Generosa](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/polizzi-generosa/) |

## Along the way

- The last wild Abies nebrodensis, about 30 adult trees
- View of the Quacella amphitheatre, the "Sicilian Alps"
- Holm oak and beech side by side in the Vallone Madonna degli Angeli
- Wild orchids and endemic plants of the Madonie
- The Casa Prato trough, with fresh water all year

The *Abies nebrodensis*, the Madonie fir, grows in the wild in only one place in the world: the Vallone Madonna degli Angeli, above Polizzi Generosa. About 30 adult trees are left. The trail that reaches them starts in the Quacella area, at km 8.3 of the SP119, and takes half a day between May and October.

It is a walk in zone A of the Park, the strictest protection level. Go slowly, look a lot and touch nothing.

## Why walk this trail

Because you see a species that was thought to be extinct. In the late 18th century the fir was still common on the Sicilian mountains; then logging almost wiped it out.

The Park tells the story of the rediscovery like this: in 1958 the botanist Messeri, of the Faculty of Natural Sciences in Palermo, identified a large Abies nebrodensis in a private garden in Polizzi Generosa. On the slopes of Monte Scalone, in the Vallone Madonna degli Angeli, another 25 trees were then found, each numbered and fenced. In 1984 the Sicilian Region set up a nature reserve to protect them.

In December 2018, in a vote coordinated by Lorenzo Peruzzi of the University of Pisa, the Madonie fir was chosen as the symbol plant of Sicily.

## How to recognise the Madonie fir

It is smaller than the silver fir: an adult reaches 15 metres at most. The trunk is stocky, the crown broad, and the branches grow out in a cross. Hence the Sicilian names the Park records, *arvuli cruci cruci* and *arvulu caccia diavuli*.

The first tree you meet is hidden among holm oaks. Others stand alone in the middle of large scree fields, and you see them from far away.

## What you see along the way

You start on a dirt road closed to traffic, inside a plantation of black pine, deodar cedar and Atlas cedar. As soon as you leave the trees the Quacella amphitheatre opens up: rock walls and spires that the botanist Lojacono Pojero called the "Sicilian Alps".

Along the track the Park lists rare and endemic plants: Nebrodi milk-vetch, mountain flax, Sicilian fairy flax, Sicilian soapwort, Sicilian dwarf iris. In spring many wild orchids flower, some found only in the Madonie.

In the valley holm oak and beech grow together. Further on, in the clearings, the endemic Sicilian Apollo butterfly flies in summer.

The route then drops to a trough with water that is always fresh, next to Casa Prato, and returns to the SP119 on the outward track.

## Who it is for and when to go

The trail is a standard hiking path with no difficult passages. You need a steady step on the scree and some fitness: it also suits families with children who are used to walking.

The right season is May to October. Spring is orchid time, autumn brings the colours. In winter the Park advises against hikes in the high Madonie.

## How to get to the start

From Polizzi Generosa take the SP119, the road up towards Portella Colla and Piano Battaglia. At km 8.3, in the Quacella area, a dirt road leaves the provincial road and is closed by a Forestry gate: walkers pass through the side openings.

Since February 2026 the SP119 between Polizzi Generosa and Portella Colla has been closed after a landslide near the Portella Colla junction, and at the time of writing it has not reopened: while it stays closed, the km 8.3 start cannot be reached by car. Before setting off, check the page on [Madonie roads](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/roads/) and the [weather in Polizzi Generosa](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/weather/polizzi-generosa/).

## Where to sleep and eat

Polizzi Generosa is the nearest and most convenient base. You will find accommodation in [where to stay in Polizzi Generosa](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/polizzi-generosa/where-to-stay/) and restaurants in [where to eat in Polizzi Generosa](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/polizzi-generosa/where-to-eat/).

If you are in the area on the third Sunday of August, there is the [Hazelnut Festival](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/sagra-delle-nocciole-hazelnut-festival-polizzi-generosa/); in September the [Fera di San Gandolfo](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/fera-di-san-gandolfo-polizzi-generosa/). The [Polizzi Generosa page](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/polizzi-generosa/) covers the rest of the town.

## Rules and tips

- Stay on the path. The Park forbids picking or damaging plants, seedlings included: every young fir counts.
- No fires, no camping, no litter left behind.
- With a weather warning for wind, heavy rain or snow, do not enter the woods: the Park forbids it because branches and trees may give way.
- Bring water from home: the trough is halfway round.

Two other hikes we describe start from this area: [Monte San Salvatore](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/trails/monte-san-salvatore/) and [Monte Quacella](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/trails/monte-quacella/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Where can you see the Abies nebrodensis?

It grows in the wild only in the Madonie Park, on the slopes of the Vallone Madonna degli Angeli and Monte Scalone, in the territory of Polizzi Generosa, at roughly 1,400 to 1,600 metres. The Abies trail starts in the Quacella area, at km 8.3 of the SP119, and passes several trees.

### How many Abies nebrodensis are left?

The natural adult population numbers about 30 trees, according to the Cefalù Madonie tourist district. Around them grow young trees that sprouted naturally and others planted by conservation projects. The IUCN lists the species among the most threatened plants of the Mediterranean.

### How long is the Abies nebrodensis trail?

Plan on half a day, stops included. The route described by the Park climbs a forest track, enters the valley on a footpath and returns on the same track. The gradient is moderate, but there are stretches over scree where you go slowly.

### Is the trail suitable for children?

It works with children who can already walk for a few hours: the first part is a wide forest road. The stretch among the firs is a real path, stony in places. Explain to them beforehand that nothing is picked up here, not even a cone.

### When is the best time to see the Abies nebrodensis?

From May to October. In spring orchids and endemic plants flower along the track; in summer you may see the Sicilian Apollo butterfly in the clearings. In winter snow and road conditions make access uncertain, and the Park advises against high-altitude hikes in that season.

### Where do you park for the Abies trail?

The start is at km 8.3 of the SP119, the road from Polizzi Generosa up to Piano Battaglia, in the Quacella area. A dirt road here is closed to cars by a Forestry gate with side passages for walkers. Park without blocking the gate. Since February 2026, however, the SP119 has been closed by a landslide: check it has reopened before you go.

### Can you take a cone or a branch of Abies nebrodensis?

The rules forbid it. The trail lies in zone A of the Madonie Park, the strictest protection level, where picking or damaging plants or parts of them is prohibited. With such a small population even the seeds matter: leave them where they are.

## Sources

- [Ente Parco delle Madonie, Sentiero degli Abies nebrodensis](https://www.parcodellemadonie.it/sentiero-degli-abies-nebrodensis/)
- [Visit Polizzi Generosa, Abies nebrodensis path](https://visitpolizzigenerosa.it/en/itinerary/abies-nebrodensis-path-zone-a-of-the-madonie-park/)
- [Distretto turistico Cefalù Madonie Himera, sentiero 561 (popolazione di Abies nebrodensis)](https://www.cefalumadoniehimera.it/trails/561-sentiero-portella-colla-case-disiceddi-piano-cervi/)
- [Ente Parco delle Madonie, elenco dei divieti di fruizione](https://www.parcodellemadonie.it/fruizione-del-parco-delle-madonie-elenco-dei-divieti/)
- [La Sicilia, frana sulla SP119 e chiusura della strada (6 febbraio 2026)](https://www.lasicilia.it/news/cronaca/3016868/nuova-frana-sulle-madonie-interrotta-una-provinciale-polizzi-generosa-isolata-e-accesso-a-piano-battaglia-a-rischio.html)

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Markdown version of the page https://www.lemadonie.it/en/trails/vallone-madonna-degli-angeli-and-the-abies-nebrodensis/, from Le Madonie (lemadonie.it), an independent guide to the Madonie. Facts with source and date of check.