Castellana Sicula

Castellana Sicula is a municipality of 2,885 people, 774 metres above sea level, on the southern side of the Madonie Park (Parco delle Madonie), between Petralia Sottana and Polizzi Generosa. It is a young village, born from many farm hamlets, also known as the City of Murals for the paintings on its facades. It is famous for the Carnevale delle Madonie, held here since 1962, and lies about 23 km from Piano Battaglia.

You come here if you are interested in farm life in the high Madonie, if you want a quiet base for the mountains, or for Carnival.

Castellana Sicula at a glance

The key facts, with sources at the bottom of the page.

Where	Southern side of the Madonie Park, on the SS120
Altitude	774 m at the town hall (ISTAT)
Population	2,885 (ISTAT estimate, 1 January 2026)
Area	about 73 km²
From Palermo	96 km, about 1 h 20 by car
From Piano Battaglia	23 km, about 25 min
Patron saints	San Francesco di Paola and Santa Barbara
Known for	Carnevale delle Madonie, murals, farm hamlets

A short history

The first settlers arrived in the first half of the seventeenth century: farmers from nearby villages, Petralia above all, who found fertile flat land here. The village proper was born between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, when the Duke of Ferrandina, lord of the Castellana, Fana and Maimone estates, obtained from the king the right to found new settlements. According to tradition he named the village Castellana in honour of his wife, a noblewoman of the Castellana family.

The centre grew around a crossroads of drove roads, with a fountain and a trough. In 1799 a shepherd, Antonio Di Maria, collected donations for the first church, dedicated to Santa Barbara, protector against lightning. In the mid-twentieth century Castellana separated from Petralia Sottana and became a municipality.

The hamlets of Castellana Sicula

The municipality is scattered across many hamlets. The council names Calcarelli, Nociazzi, Catalani and Frazzucchi among the main ones. Some were among the first settlements in the area: Frazzucchi, for example, according to tradition owes its name to the first houses built among oak stumps.

Calcarelli has the church of San Giuseppe, one of the largest in the municipality, with a painted ceiling and an old pipe organ still played during services. Nociazzi has the church of the Santissimo Crocifisso.

Things to see in Castellana Sicula

The Chiesa Madre and the churches

The Chiesa Madre is dedicated to San Francesco di Paola, patron saint together with Santa Barbara. It has a long central nave with two side aisles, like the church of San Giuseppe in Calcarelli. The sanctuary of the Madonna della Catena was designed by Padre Abate, a priest and scholar to whom the village has dedicated a monument.

The murals

All over the village there are colourful murals that tell the story of the area and of Sicily through traditional symbols and icons. They earned Castellana the nickname City of Murals. Some have faded with time, but you can still read them well.

The town museum at Muratore

This is the village’s cultural landmark. Around the museum are the remains of a Roman residence, its baths and about twenty underground chambers, later used as stables. The building was first a bathhouse, then a farmhouse and now a museum. Inside you will find archaeological finds (amphorae, jugs, bronze coins, pottery), tools of farm life and a nature section with stuffed animals and plants of the Madonie.

The Casina Rossi

It is considered the first building in the area: a castle-shaped villa, named after the colour of its facades, from the early eighteenth century. The village tells that a noblewoman of the Castellana family was locked up here and that her spirit still protects the town.

Piano Mulino

Outside the village is Piano Mulino, a picnic area with one of the few mountain fountains whose drinking water comes straight from the spring, the same one that supplies the village. Next to it stands an old water mill. In the countryside you will still find old troughs and washhouses.

Things to do in and around Castellana Sicula

• Walk, cycle, ride: the council suggests routes to the Santuario Madonna dell’Alto, the Madonna degli Angeli, the Roman bridge and Monte San Salvatore. There is also a riding centre in the village that organises excursions.
• Go up into the mountains: Piano Battaglia is about 23 km away, with ski slopes in winter. All the information is in the snow section.
• Visit nearby villages: Polizzi Generosa 7 km away, Petralia Sottana 10, Petralia Soprana a little further.

More ideas on things to do in Castellana Sicula.

When to go

The most famous moment is Carnival, in February or early March. Summer has the patron saint’s feast in July, the Gelato Festival and Da Coffa a Visazza in August. Spring and autumn are the months for walking. In winter the village is handy for Piano Battaglia: check the weather in Castellana Sicula and road conditions.

How to get to Castellana Sicula

From Palermo and Catania take the A19 to the Tremonzelli exit and then the SS120 “dell’Etna e delle Madonie”, which runs through the village. Distances calculated on OpenStreetMap:

From	Distance	Driving time
Palermo	96 km	about 1 h 20
Catania	130 km	about 1 h 45
Cefalù	68 km	about 1 h
Petralia Sottana	10 km	about 10 min
Piano Battaglia	23 km	about 25 min

We have not found official, up-to-date bus timetables: for now a car is best. In winter you need snow chains on board or winter tyres on the SS120: the rules are on the page about Madonie roads. For all roads and connections there is the guide on how to get to the Madonie.

What to eat in Castellana Sicula

The village’s savoury pie is sfoglio, a pastry filled with tuma, a fresh cheese, which Castellana shares with Petralia Sottana, Petralia Soprana and Polizzi Generosa and which is recognised as a traditional food product. At the end of July the Festival del Gelato Madonita celebrates gelato made with Madonie produce. More local produce is in our guide to Madonie food.

Festivals and events

• Carnevale delle Madonie, since 1962, on a Sunday at Carnival: masked groups, floats, barbecues. Carnival page.
• San Francesco di Paola, in mid-July, with the procession of the patron saint and fireworks. Festival page.
• Festival del Gelato Madonita, at the end of July.
• Da Coffa a Visazza, in mid-August: folklore and farm life. Festival page.

All dates are on events in Castellana Sicula.

Where to stay and where to eat

People mostly stay in farm stays and masserie: you will find them in where to stay in Castellana Sicula. Bars, pizzerias and restaurants in the centre are in where to eat in Castellana Sicula.