Collesano

Collesano is a village of 3,609 people, 470 metres above sea level, on the north-western side of the Madonie Park (Parco delle Madonie), 26 km from Cefalù and 65 km from Palermo. It is the village of the Targa Florio, the car race that ran through its streets and has a museum here, and of ceramics, made here since the sixteenth century. In the centre there are the ruins of a medieval castle and churches with works by friar Umile da Petralia and the Gagini school.

You come here for a day of art, motor racing history and workshops. And if you walk, since January 2026 there is a new trail to Scillato.

Collesano at a glance

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

Where	North-western side of the Madonie Park, above the Roccella valley
Altitude	470 m at the town hall (ISTAT)
Population	3,609 (ISTAT estimate, 1 January 2026)
Area	about 108 km²
From Cefalù	26 km, about 40 min by car
From Palermo	65 km, a little over 1 h
Patron saint	Maria Santissima dei Miracoli (25-27 May)
Known for	Targa Florio, ceramics, the Peppe ’Nnappa carnival

A short history

Collesano’s story begins on Monte d’Oro, the isolated hill west of the village. A fortified settlement of the Islamic period stood there, which the historian Michele Amari identified with the Qal’at as-sirat mentioned in the tenth century. King Roger II had it destroyed and rebuilt lower down, on the present site, between 1130 and 1140: Golisano was born.

The fief passed to the Siracusa family, then to the Ventimiglia, and for centuries to great families of Spanish origin: Centelles, Cardona, Aragona, Moncada. Between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries the village grew in population and works of art, and the ceramics industry Collesano is still known for took off.

The old town is divided into four quarters: Bagherino, the first settlement around the castle, San Francesco, San Pietro and Santa Caterina.

Things to see in Collesano

The castle and Piazza Castello

The castle was probably built between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, with a square plan, four corner towers and walls up to two metres thick. In the second half of the sixteenth century it became a palace; the earthquake of 11 January 1693 ruined it, and until 1819 it was used as a prison. Today the north-east tower survives, with houses built against the walls.

In front of it is Piazza Castello, in the upper part of the village: the town council describes it as an open space with a view over the surrounding hills, always accessible.

The Basilica di San Pietro and the watchtower

The Chiesa Madre is the Basilica di San Pietro, built in the sixteenth century. On its left side stands an older watchtower, probably from the second half of the twelfth century: it was built on its own, then absorbed into the church and used as its bell tower until the early twentieth century. Look at the two-light window on the second floor, with its small column and capital.

Santa Maria di Gesù and Santa Maria la Vecchia

In the Franciscan church of Santa Maria di Gesù, in the left chapel, is the wooden crucifix by friar Umile da Petralia, made around 1635. It is the village’s co-patron.

The old church of Santa Maria Assunta, known as Santa Maria la Vecchia, hosts the feast of Santa Lucia on 13 December.

The palaces in the centre

The town hall was a Dominican convent, founded in the mid-sixteenth century by Countess Susanna Gonzaga. After 1869 it became the seat of the council and in 1882 it got the neo-Gothic facade you see today. On Via Francesco Crispi stands Palazzo Fatta-Del Bosco, from the early eighteenth century, with a baroque facade and wrought-iron “goose-breast” balconies.

The Targa Florio museum

Collesano stood on the Madonie circuit of the Targa Florio, the oldest car race in the world, and the village museum tells its story. The history of the race is in our guide to the Targa Florio. Opening times are not fixed: the council publishes notices on its official website, so check before you go.

The ceramics workshops

Collesano ceramics have more than four centuries of history. There are still workshops in the village where you can watch the work and buy directly from the makers.

Monte d’Oro

On the hill west of the village are the traces of the ancient town. In 1972 the regional heritage office carried out a short dig: a Swabian-era coin, a bronze brooch, an oil lamp and plenty of pottery, now in the Antonio Salinas archaeological museum in Palermo. The hill is also a good place to see birds of prey such as buzzards and kestrels.

Things to do in and around Collesano

• Walk to Scillato on the Sentiero dei Borghi, about 10 km through farm hamlets and springs, opened on 27 January 2026.
• Head up into the mountains: the municipality reaches Monte Castellaro, 1,656 metres, with beech woods above 1,400 metres. Piano Battaglia is about half an hour’s drive.
• Watch the Targa Florio: the Targa Florio Rally in May and the Targa Florio Classica for historic cars in autumn.
• Visit nearby villages: Isnello is 11 km away, Gratteri 17, Scillato 11.

All the ideas are on the page things to do in Collesano.

When to go

The liveliest time is Carnival, with Peppe ’Nnappa. Then Holy Week, the patron saint’s feast in late May and the passage of the Targa Florio. Spring and autumn are good for walking; in mid-November there is the Cheese Festival. The weather in Collesano tells you what to expect over the next few days.

How to get to Collesano

From Palermo take the A19 to the Buonfornello exit, then the SS113 towards Campofelice di Roccella and the SP9 up to the village. From Cefalù you arrive on the same SP9. Distances are calculated on OpenStreetMap.

From	Distance	Driving time
Palermo	65 km	about 1 h 10
Cefalù	26 km	about 40 min
Catania	155 km	about 2 h 10
Isnello	11 km	about 15 min
Piano Battaglia	25 km	about 30 min

We have not found official, up-to-date bus timetables: for now a car is the simplest option. Closures and roadworks 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 Collesano

Collesano is cheese country: every November it hosts the Collesano Cheese Festival, with Madonie dairies, masterclasses and tastings in the square. The lower hills are planted with olive groves, vineyards and citrus.

For Santa Lucia, on 13 December, people hand out cuccia, a dish of boiled wheat, and ucchialeddi, biscuits shaped like eyes. Local varieties are in our guide to Madonie cheeses, other produce in our guide to Madonie food.

Festivals and events

• Carnival and the Peppe ’Nnappa contest, up to Shrove Tuesday. Carnival page.
• Holy Week: on Good Friday the Cerca, a Way of the Cross with hooded brothers held since 1667, and in the evening the Morti e Passioni procession.
• Maria Santissima dei Miracoli, 25-27 May, with the procession on the 26th.
• Santissimo Crocifisso, 14 September, in the church of Santa Maria di Gesù.
• Collesano Cheese Festival, in mid-November.

The full calendar is on the page about events in Collesano.

Where to stay and where to eat

Places to stay are few and mostly in the countryside: you will find them in where to stay in Collesano. Bars, pastry shops, pizzerias and trattorias in the centre are in where to eat in Collesano. If you want a wide choice of accommodation, Cefalù is the most convenient base.