Culture
Castles of the Madonie: where they are and how to visit
The castles of the Madonie town by town: Castelbuono with its museum, the ruins of Geraci, Collesano, Caltavuturo, Isnello, Pollina and the Rocca di Cefalù.
Petralia Soprana · 1,147 m a.s.l.
Things to do in Petralia Soprana
You explore Petralia Soprana on foot, from one viewpoint to the next: Loreto for Etna and the Imera valley, the Carmine for western Sicily, Piazza Duomo towards Gangi. In between are the mother church with Frate Umile's first crucifix, Santa Maria di Loreto and the Fontana dei Quattro Cannoli.
Outside the centre is the Raffo rock salt mine with the Museo SottoSale, open only on set days. In five minutes you drive down to Petralia Sottana, in half an hour you are at Piano Battaglia. Below you will find the guides, trails and experiences linked to the town.
For Petralia Soprana we have 18 guides, 1 trail and 3 itineraries.
What to see in town
- Loreto, Carmine and Piazza Duomo viewpoints
- Chiesa Madre dei Santi Pietro e Paolo and Frate Umile's first crucifix
- Chiesa di Santa Maria di Loreto
- Oval church of the Santissimo Salvatore
- Piazza del Popolo and Palazzo Pottino
- Fontana dei Quattro Cannoli
- Museo Civico Gaetano Messineo
- Rock salt mine and Museo SottoSale at Raffo (by booking)
Guides
Culture
Churches of the Madonie: Cefalù Cathedral and the Gagini
Churches to see in the Madonie: Cefalù's Norman cathedral, mother churches with Gagini marbles, the Last Judgement of Gangi, the Polizzi triptych, Gibilmanna.
Info
Getting around the Madonie: distances, roads and buses
Getting around the Madonie: driving distances and times between the 16 towns, the roads to know, the buses from Cefalù and how to manage without a car.
Culture
History of the Madonie: from prehistoric caves to today
The history of the Madonie: prehistoric caves, Greeks and Romans, Arabs, Normans, the Ventimiglia county, the early modern age, the Park and depopulation.
Food
Madonie beans and ancient grains: the badda bean
Polizzi Generosa's badda bean, a Slow Food Presidium, Isnello's broad beans and the ancient grains of the Madonie: what they are, harvest times, where to buy.
Culture
Madonie crafts: ceramics, basketry, embroidery and stone
Madonie crafts: the majolica of Collesano, baskets woven from cane and dwarf palm, the embroidery of Isnello, puppets, the stone of Petralia and salt sculpture.
Food
Madonie desserts: testa di turco, sfoglio and more
Madonie desserts town by town: Castelbuono's testa di turco, Polizzi's sfoglio, manna panettone, Gratteri's biscuits, and where to buy them.
Culture
Madonie festivals and traditions: calendar and rituals
Madonie traditions month by month: Holy Week, the Miracula of Gangi, Sant'Anna, the Ballo della Cordella, the Giostra dei Ventimiglia and nativity scenes.
Nature
Madonie flora: endemic plants, orchids and when they flower
Madonie flora: about 1,500 species and 170 endemics, over half of Sicily's plants. Endemic plants, orchids, peonies, where to see them and when they flower.
Food
Madonie food festival calendar, season by season
Madonie food festival (sagre) calendar by season: usual periods, villages and what you eat, from Scillato oranges to Polizzi hazelnuts and mushrooms.
Nature
Madonie Park: towns, protection zones, rules and what to see
Madonie Park (Parco delle Madonie): 39,679 hectares and 15 towns between Cefalù and the Petralias, founded in 1989. Zones, rules, sights and how to get there.
Nature
Madonie plateaus: Piano Battaglia, Piano Zucchi and more
The plateaus of the Madonie: Piano Battaglia at 1,572 m, Piano Zucchi, Piano Sempria, Piano Cervi, Piano Pomo and Piano Catarineci. Heights, access, what to do.
Nature
Madonie UNESCO Global Geopark: geosites, fossils and trails
Madonie UNESCO Global Geopark: a geopark since 2001, UNESCO since 2015, 70 geosites and 220 million years of history. What to see, geological trails, museums.
Culture
Museums of the Madonie: what to see town by town
Museums of the Madonie: the Mandralisca in Cefalù, the Museo Civico in Castelbuono castle, Minà Palumbo, the Targa Florio, salt sculptures and rural life.
Food
Olive oil and wine of the Madonie: PDO, wineries, mills
Madonie olive oil and wine: Val di Mazara PDO and Sicilia PGI oil, the Nebba olive of Scillato, the Contea di Sclafani DOC, a Castelbuono winery and festivals.
Things to do
Photographing the Madonie: light, seasons, places, rules
Photography in the Madonie: autumn colours, snow, flowers, sunrise and sunset at Piano Battaglia, the Milky Way over Isnello, hill villages, wildlife, drones.
Culture
Targa Florio: history of the race and the Madonie circuit
The Targa Florio was born in 1906 on the roads of the Madonie: history of the race, its three circuits, Floriopoli, the Collesano museum and today's events.
Food
What to eat in the Madonie: typical dishes and produce
What to eat in the Madonie and in which town: cheese, badda beans, mushrooms, manna and desserts, a seasonal food calendar and which type of place to choose.
Trails from Petralia Soprana
Itineraries through here
3 days
A Madonie road trip: 16 villages by car in 3 days
Madonie road trip: a 262 km loop from Cefalù in 3 days, 16 villages from the sea to the Petralias. Roads, distances, driving times, stops, where to stay.
3 days
The Madonie in winter: snow, nativity scenes and villages
A long snow weekend in Sicily: 3 days in the Madonie based in Petralia Sottana, with Piano Battaglia, nativity scenes and villages. Roads, chains, times.
7 days
A week in the Madonie: a 7-day itinerary
The Madonie in 7 days with 2 bases, Castelbuono and Petralia Sottana: 10 towns, Pizzo Carbonara, the Abies and the Gole di Tiberio. Stops, km, driving times.
In nearby villages
Villages within 15 km of Petralia Soprana as the crow flies, nearest first:
- Things to do in Petralia Sottana 45 entries · 2 km
- Things to do in Castellana Sicula 19 entries · 5.9 km
- Things to do in Geraci Siculo 25 entries · 8.1 km
- Things to do in Gangi 20 entries · 8.6 km
Frequently asked questions
- What is there to see in Petralia Soprana?
- What to see in the village: Loreto, Carmine and Piazza Duomo viewpoints, Chiesa Madre dei Santi Pietro e Paolo and Frate Umile's first crucifix, Chiesa di Santa Maria di Loreto, Oval church of the Santissimo Salvatore and Piazza del Popolo and Palazzo Pottino. For Petralia Soprana we have 18 guides, 1 trail and 3 itineraries.
- What is there to do near Petralia Soprana?
- Within 15 km as the crow flies: Petralia Sottana (45 entries, 2 km), Castellana Sicula (19 entries, 5.9 km), Geraci Siculo (25 entries, 8.1 km) and Gangi (20 entries, 8.6 km).