Petralia Soprana

Petralia Soprana is the highest town in the Madonie: the centre stands at 1,147 metres, on the southern side of the range, in the province of Palermo, with 2,807 people (ISTAT estimate at 1 January 2026). On 25 November 2018 it won the title of Borgo dei Borghi. You come for the three viewpoints looking out over Etna and inland Sicily, for the almost intact stone old town and for Frate Umile’s first crucifix, in the mother church.

You can see the town in two or three hours. Petralia Sottana, its twin, is 3 km lower down.

Petralia Soprana at a glance

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

Where	Southern side of the Madonie, province of Palermo, inside the Madonie Park
Altitude	1,147 m, the highest town in the Madonie
Population	2,807 (ISTAT estimate at 1 January 2026)
From Palermo	103 km, about 1 hour 30 minutes (A19 Tremonzelli exit, SS120, SP29)
From Catania	134 km, about 1 hour 50 minutes
From Cefalù	57 km, about 1 hour
Patron saints	Saints Peter and Paul, feast from 25 to 29 June
Don’t miss	Loreto viewpoint, mother church, Santa Maria di Loreto, salt mine

A short history

Petralia Soprana is usually identified with Petra, a town of the Sicani. In 254 BC, during the First Punic War, it passed to the Romans, who listed it among the towns that had to pay Rome a tenth of their grain.

Under the Arabs it was called Batraliah. In 1062 Roger’s Normans conquered it and fortified it with a castle, towers and bastions: the shape you see today largely comes from that time.

In 1258 a document distinguishes for the first time between Petra superior, Petralia Soprana, and Petra inferior, Petralia Sottana, as two separate communities. That same year both Petralias passed to the Ventimiglia of Geraci; later to the Centelles, the Cardona, the Moncada and the Álvarez de Toledo, until feudalism ended in 1817.

The town’s most famous son is Frate Umile da Petralia, born Giovan Francesco Pintorno (1600-1639): a Franciscan friar and sculptor who, from 1623, carved 33 wooden crucifixes.

What to see in Petralia Soprana

You cross the old town in a few minutes, but it is worth getting lost. Many portals, balconies and doors were worked by local stonemasons, blacksmiths and woodcarvers.

The three viewpoints

They are the reason to come up here.

• Loreto viewpoint, u castru, at the highest point: it looks at Etna and, turning round, Enna, Caltanissetta and the Imera valley.
• Carmine viewpoint: it looks at western Sicily towards Palermo.
• Piazza Duomo viewpoint: it looks east towards Gangi, with Etna in the background.

The mother church of Saints Peter and Paul

It faces Piazza Duomo. It was rebuilt in the 14th century by the Ventimiglia and has three aisles. The façade has two bell towers, an older one and an 18th-century one, and a colonnade runs along one side. The wooden door has carved panels in Catalan Gothic style.

In the right aisle is Frate Umile’s first crucifix, from 1623: a life-size Christ of striking realism. Inside are also the statues of the patron saints and a 17th-century Deposition attributed to Jusepe de Ribera.

Santa Maria di Loreto

On Piazza Loreto, at the top of the town, where the Sicanian and then the Roman fortress stood. The church was rebuilt in 1750 on a Greek cross plan, with a late Baroque façade and two bell towers with majolica spires, visible from miles away. Inside is a marble altarpiece attributed to Giandomenico Gagini, with four scenes from the life of Christ, and the wooden statues of Saints Cosmas and Damian.

The church of the Santissimo Salvatore

It is the only oval church in the Madonie, with eight pillars holding up the dome. Tradition says it stands on the mosque reconsecrated by the Normans. On the altar is the 17th-century statue of Christ the Saviour by Giovan Pietro Ragona.

Piazza del Popolo, palaces and fountains

Piazza del Popolo was laid out in 1929. Facing it are the town hall, once a Carmelite convent, with its neo-Gothic façade, and Palazzo Pottino, with 19th-century frescoes on the main floor.

Nearby is Piazza San Michele with its round fountain. On Piazza Fontana dei Quattro Cannoli, the Baroque fountain in Billiemi marble was the town’s only water source until the 18th century.

Other sights

• Porta Seriv, Norman, the only one left of the town’s six old gates, with the nearby church of San Teodoro, rebuilt in 1759.
• Convent of the Reformed Friars Minor, from 1611, with a façade decorated in relief: Frate Umile did his novitiate here.
• Museo Civico Gaetano Messineo, in the former prison of the town hall, with objects from life on the Madonie estates and finds from the Roman villa of Santa Marina.
• Villa Sgadari, an 18th-century Baroque villa outside the centre, restored in 2010.

The Raffo salt mine

Near the hamlet of Raffo is one of the largest rock salt mines in Europe, still in operation. Inside it is the MACSS, the Museo di arte contemporanea SottoSale, with sculptures carved from salt. Visits take place only on set days and by booking: check the dates before you go. The Museo Civico Antonio Collisani in Petralia Sottana has a room dedicated to this mine; all the museums in the area are in the guide to the museums of the Madonie.

Things to do in and around Petralia Soprana

• Go down to Petralia Sottana. It is 3 km on the SP29: the main street, the mother church above the valley and the Museo Civico Antonio Collisani. All on the page on Petralia Sottana.
• Drive up to Piano Battaglia. About 22 km and 27 minutes on the SP54: trails in summer, snow in winter. Read our guide to Piano Battaglia in winter.
• Tour the inland villages. Gangi is 15 km away, Polizzi Generosa 20 km, Geraci Siculo 13 km.
• Follow the Gagini trail. Sculptures by the Gagini and their workshops are found in Petralia Soprana, Petralia Sottana, Gangi and Geraci Siculo.

More ideas on things to do in Petralia Soprana.

A day in Petralia Soprana

If you have a day, this order works well:

1. Early morning at the Loreto viewpoint, when the air is clearest and Etna is easiest to see.
2. Mother church and Piazza Duomo, with Frate Umile’s crucifix and the viewpoint towards Gangi.
3. Piazza del Popolo, the Fontana dei Quattro Cannoli and Porta Seriv, wandering the lanes on foot.
4. Lunch in town, with a pulse soup and local cheeses.
5. Afternoon in Petralia Sottana, 3 km lower down, or at the Raffo mine if you have booked a visit.
6. Sunset at the Carmine viewpoint, facing Palermo and western Sicily.

What to eat in Petralia Soprana

• Soups and wild greens. Lentils with wild fennel, chickpeas, chicory and borage; cooked together they make virdura maritata.
• Cheeses. Fresh or aged pecorino, caciocavallo, fresh ricotta.
• Meat and cured meats. Beef, lamb, pork; sausage, also dried.
• Sweets. Sfoglio, a tart filled with tuma cheese, recognised as a traditional food product and shared with Petralia Sottana, Castellana Sicula and Polizzi Generosa; u risu duci, cucchia at Christmas, aceddu at Easter and cinnamon biscuits.
• Salt. From the Raffo mine, celebrated every August with its festival.

To pick a table, see where to eat in Petralia Soprana. Other produce is in food of the Madonie.

Festivals and events in Petralia Soprana

The periods below are the usual ones. Dates and programmes for the year are on each event page.

Period	Event
Holy Week	Easter rites, with the meeting of the Risen Christ and Our Lady of Sorrows in Piazza Duomo
25-29 June	Feast of Saints Peter and Paul
First weekend of August	Sagra del Grano di Pianello
Ferragosto (15 August)	Re-enactment of an 18th-century baronial wedding
Second half of August	Sagra del Sale di Raffo
Mid or late September	A Pistata, saperi e sapori in vetta
December - 6 January	Presepe d’InCanto

For the patron saints, on the evenings of the feast small statues of the saints are carried out to the sound of drums; on 29 June the two confraternities carry up to twenty statues in procession. The full calendar is on events in Petralia Soprana.

When to go to Petralia Soprana

At 1,147 metres the climate is mountain-like: cold winters, with average highs of 5-7 °C in January and February, and cool summers with average highs around 25 °C in July and August (climate data reported by Wikipedia).

• Spring: the Holy Week rites and green fields.
• Summer: the most pleasant season, with the patron saints’ feast and the hamlets’ festivals.
• Autumn: A Pistata in September; clear days for the viewpoints.
• Winter: cold and sometimes snow, the nativity scene and Piano Battaglia nearby for skiing.

Before you leave, check the Petralia Soprana weather.

How to get to Petralia Soprana

You need a car. We calculated the distances with OSRM on OpenStreetMap data, without traffic.

From	Distance	Time	Road
Palermo	103 km	1 h 30 min	A19 Tremonzelli exit, SS120, SP29
Catania	134 km	1 h 48 min	A19, SS120, SP29
Cefalù	57 km	1 h 3 min	SS113, SS286, SS120, SP29
Petralia Sottana	3 km	5 min	SP29
Piano Battaglia	22 km	27 min	SP54

In winter, the ANAS 2025/2026 order required snow chains on board or winter tyres on the SS120 from km 25, from 1 December to 31 March. Current rules and alerts are in our guide to driving in the Madonie.

Where to stay and where to eat

There are few beds in town; Petralia Sottana, 3 km away, has more choice. The updated lists, with a source for each listing, are on where to stay in Petralia Soprana and where to eat in Petralia Soprana. For walks, see trails near Petralia Soprana.