# Petralia Sottana > What to see in Petralia Sottana, seat of the Madonie Park: the mother church above the valley, Museo Collisani, the Ballo della Cordella and Piano Battaglia. - Page: https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/petralia-sottana/ - Updated: 2026-10-19 - Home of the Madonie Park, at the foot of Piano Battaglia - Town in the Madonie Park (Parco delle Madonie) - Altitude: 1,039 m · Coordinates: 37.8086, 14.0928 - Other languages: [Italiano](https://www.lemadonie.it/borghi/petralia-sottana.md) · [Español](https://www.lemadonie.it/es/pueblos/petralia-sottana.md) · [Français](https://www.lemadonie.it/fr/villages/petralia-sottana.md) · [Deutsch](https://www.lemadonie.it/de/doerfer/petralia-sottana.md) Petralia Sottana is a town of 2,349 people (ISTAT estimate at 1 January 2026) at 1,039 metres, on the southern side of the Madonie, in the province of Palermo. It is the seat of the Madonie Park authority (Ente Parco delle Madonie) and the town from which you drive up to Piano Battaglia, 18 km away. You come for Corso Paolo Agliata, for the mother church overlooking the valley, for the Gagini altarpiece in the Badia, for the Museo Collisani and, in mid August, for the Ballo della Cordella. It is the most convenient base for walking or skiing in the high Madonie while staying in a real town. ## Petralia Sottana 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 | 1,039 m | | Population | 2,349 (ISTAT estimate at 1 January 2026) | | From Palermo | 105 km, about 1 hour 30 minutes (A19 Tremonzelli exit, SS120) | | From Catania | 135 km, about 1 hour 50 minutes | | From Cefalù | 60 km, about 1 hour 5 minutes | | Patron saint | San Calogero, feast on 17 and 18 June | | Don't miss | Corso Paolo Agliata, mother church, Badia, Museo Collisani, Piano Battaglia | ## A short history The oldest traces come from the Grotta del Vecchiuzzo, near the town, already inhabited in the Neolithic. In Greek times *Petra* probably stood here: a bronze coin bearing that name was found in the excavations of nearby Himera. Under the Romans Petra was a "decuman" town, obliged to pay a tenth of its grain. The Arabs called it *Batraliah* and made it a stronghold with a market, castle, church and mosque. The Normans arrived around 1062. In 1258 a document distinguishes for the first time between Petra *inferior*, Petralia Sottana, and Petra *superior*, Petralia Soprana. In the 19th century Petralia Sottana became the service centre of the high Madonie, with public offices and small factories. The [Targa Florio](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/culture/targa-florio/), the motor race founded in 1906, ran along its roads. From the 20th century onwards emigration reduced the population from more than 10,000 at the start of the century, when the municipality also included Castellana Sicula, to today's numbers. ## What to see in Petralia Sottana The town runs along Corso Paolo Agliata, the main street, which crosses it all the way to the mother church. Almost everything is a few steps from the corso. ### Corso Paolo Agliata This is the street for strolling, shops and palaces. At number 16 is the seat of the Madonie Park authority; in front of the town hall, Palazzo del Giglio, is *U Canali*, the fountain with a mask. ### The mother church of Maria Santissima Assunta It closes the corso and overlooks the valley. The present building, with three aisles, was built between 1633 and 1670; the white stone bell tower was finished in 1680. Of the medieval church, the 15th-century side portal in Catalan Gothic style survives, with the Cardona coats of arms. Inside are works by Giuseppe Salerno and the Gagini school and a 15th-century triptych of the *Madonna della Vittoria*. The treasury holds medieval, Baroque and Neoclassical goldwork, including an Arab candlestick with Kufic inscriptions. ### The Badia and the Gagini altarpiece The church of the Santissima Trinità, known as the Badia, was founded in 1531 with the Dominican nuns' convent. It holds the town's most impressive piece: a 10-metre marble altarpiece with scenes from the life of Christ, the masterpiece of Giandomenico Gagini. There is also an 18th-century organ suspended above the side door. ### San Francesco and Santa Maria alla Fontana The **church of San Francesco d'Assisi** has walls covered in Baroque frescoes and stucco with the life of the saint, a canvas by the Zoppo di Gangi and a Baroque pulpit in gilded wood. The **church of Santa Maria alla Fontana**, medieval and restored in the 17th century, has a 14th-century Catalan Gothic portal and leans against the rock that runs through the town, from which spring water flows. ### The Museo Civico Antonio Collisani It is at Corso Paolo Agliata 100, in the restored rooms of the former prison. It has two sections. The geology section, "Geopark delle Madonie Giuseppe Torre", shows rocks and fossils more than two hundred million years old, with an interactive room designed for young people and a room on the Raffo rock salt mine. The archaeology section displays the Collisani collection. It is the right place to understand the Geopark before you go walking. The other museums in the area are in the guide to the [museums of the Madonie](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/culture/museums/). The opening hours we found do not come from an official source and do not agree with each other: ask in town or at the Park authority before going. ### Curiosities in the centre - **Casa du Currivu**, the "house of spite": about one metre wide, built in the 1950s to block the view from the house behind after a quarrel between neighbours. - **Former convent of the Reformed Friars Minor**, at the top of the town, now a branch of the University of Palermo, with a 17th-century fresco of the *Last Supper* in the old refectory. - **Hydroelectric power station** in contrada Catarratti, completed in 1908 and in operation until 1976. ### The Santuario della Madonna dell'Alto On the summit of Monte Alto, at 1,819 metres, stands a medieval sanctuary that holds a statue of the Madonna carved by Domenico Gagini in 1471. Since 1818, after an earthquake that spared the town, the Madonna dell'Alto has been the protector of Petralia Sottana. ## Things to do in and around Petralia Sottana - **Drive up to Piano Battaglia.** About 18 km and 24 minutes on the SP54. In summer there are trails, in winter skiing and snowshoeing: read our guide to [Piano Battaglia in winter](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/magazine/piano-battaglia-in-winter/) and check the [snow in the Madonie](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/snow/). - **Walk the Sentiero Italia.** The stretch of the [Sentiero Italia CAI from Piano Battaglia](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/trails/sentiero-italia-cai-from-piano-battaglia-to-petralia-sottana/) comes down to the town. - **Climb Pizzo Carbonara.** The highest peak in the Madonie is reached on the [Pizzo Carbonara loop from Piano Battaglia](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/trails/pizzo-carbonara-from-piano-battaglia/). - **See Petralia Soprana.** The highest town in the Madonie is 3 km away: read the page on [Petralia Soprana](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/petralia-soprana/). - **Tour the villages.** [Polizzi Generosa](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/polizzi-generosa/) and [Gangi](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/gangi/) are about 17 km away, in opposite directions on the SS120 and SS643. More ideas on [things to do in Petralia Sottana](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/petralia-sottana/things-to-do/). Areas, seasons and difficulty of the trails in the range are in the guide to [hiking in the Madonie](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/things-to-do/hiking/). ### A day between Petralia Sottana and Piano Battaglia 1. **Morning in town:** Corso Paolo Agliata, the mother church above the valley and the Badia with the Gagini altarpiece. 2. **Museo Civico Antonio Collisani**, to see up close the rocks and fossils you will meet on the trails. 3. **Lunch** with cheeses and mountain dishes. 4. **Afternoon at Piano Battaglia**, 24 minutes on the SP54: a walk in the beech woods or, in winter, the snow. 5. **Back at sunset** and dinner in town, or a night in a mountain hut. ## What to eat in Petralia Sottana - **Provola delle Madonie.** A pasta filata cow's milk cheese, Slow Food Presidium, made from March to June. - **Ricotta and mountain cheeses** from local farms. - **Chestnuts.** Plentiful in the woods around the town; the old chestnut festival has become the Festa dei Sapori Madoniti d'Autunno. - **Sfoglio.** A tart filled with fresh cheese, also typical of Petralia Soprana, Castellana Sicula and Polizzi Generosa. To pick a table, see [where to eat in Petralia Sottana](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/petralia-sottana/where-to-eat/). Other produce is in [food of the Madonie](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/food/). ## Festivals and events in Petralia Sottana The periods below are the usual ones. Dates and programmes for the year are on each event page. | Period | Event | |---|---| | Holy Week | [Holy Week and the 'Ncuontru](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/holy-week-and-ncuontru-petralia-sottana/) | | Late May - early June | [European Geoparks Week](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/european-geoparks-week-madonie/) | | 17-18 June | [Feast of San Calogero](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/festa-di-san-calogero-petralia-sottana/) | | Sunday after 15 August | [Ballo della Cordella and the old wedding procession](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/ballo-della-cordella-ribbon-dance-and-wedding-procession/) | | Late October | [Festa dei Sapori Madoniti d'Autunno](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/festa-dei-sapori-madoniti-autumn-food-festival/) | For San Calogero the float, which alone weighs 1,800 kg, is carried on shoulders through the town's steep streets, decorated with broad beans, flowers, sour cherries and wheat. The confraternities do not take part in the procession: it is the feast of the whole people. The full calendar is on [events in Petralia Sottana](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/petralia-sottana/events/). ## When to go to Petralia Sottana - **Spring:** Holy Week and, in late May, the European Geoparks Week. - **Summer:** the best season for high-altitude trails, with San Calogero and the Ballo della Cordella. - **Autumn:** the woods change colour and in late October there is the food festival. For foliage, read our guide to [beech woods in autumn](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/magazine/autumn-beech-woods-madonie/). - **Winter:** snow at Piano Battaglia. The town is cold but lively, and it is the closest base to the slopes on the southern side. Before you leave, check the [Petralia Sottana weather](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/weather/petralia-sottana/). ## How to get to Petralia Sottana You need a car. We calculated the distances with OSRM on OpenStreetMap data, without traffic. | From | Distance | Time | Road | |---|---|---|---| | Palermo | 105 km | 1 h 32 min | A19 Tremonzelli exit, SS120 | | Catania | 135 km | 1 h 50 min | A19, SS120 | | Cefalù | 60 km | 1 h 5 min | SS113, SS286, SS120 | | Piano Battaglia | 18 km | 24 min | SP54 | | Polizzi Generosa | 17 km | 19 min | SS120, SS643 | In winter the SP54 to Piano Battaglia can close for snow or ice, and 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](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/roads/). ## Where to stay and where to eat You can stay in town or higher up, towards Piano Battaglia. The updated lists, with a source for each listing, are on [where to stay in Petralia Sottana](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/petralia-sottana/where-to-stay/) and [where to eat in Petralia Sottana](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/petralia-sottana/where-to-eat/). The trails starting in the municipality are gathered on [trails near Petralia Sottana](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/petralia-sottana/trails/). ## What to see - Corso Paolo Agliata - Chiesa Madre di Maria Santissima Assunta and its treasury - Chiesa della Santissima Trinità (Badia) with the Giandomenico Gagini altarpiece - Chiesa di San Francesco d'Assisi - Chiesa di Santa Maria alla Fontana - Museo Civico Antonio Collisani (geology and archaeology) - Casa du Currivu, the one-metre-wide house - Santuario della Madonna dell'Alto on Monte Alto ## What to taste - Provola delle Madonie - Ricotta and mountain cheeses - Chestnuts - Sfoglio ## Dates - Holy Week and the 'Ncuontru (Easter) - Feast of San Calogero (17-18 June) - Ballo della Cordella (Sunday after 15 August) - Festa dei Sapori Madoniti d'Autunno (late October) ## Related pages - [Things to do](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/petralia-sottana/things-to-do/) - [Where to stay](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/petralia-sottana/where-to-stay/) - [Where to eat](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/petralia-sottana/where-to-eat/) - [Events](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/petralia-sottana/events/) - [Trails](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/petralia-sottana/trails/) ## Frequently asked questions ### How far is Petralia Sottana from Piano Battaglia? From Petralia Sottana to Piano Battaglia it is about 18 km and 24 minutes by car on the SP54, which climbs through woods and plateaus. Piano Battaglia is a hamlet of the municipality of Petralia Sottana. In winter check road alerts and the mountain forecast before setting off, because snow and ice are frequent. ### Where is the Madonie Park headquarters? The Madonie Park authority (Ente Parco delle Madonie) has its seat in Petralia Sottana, at Corso Paolo Agliata 16, the town's main street. The phone number is +39 0921 684011. The authority also manages the Madonie UNESCO Global Geopark, to which the geology section of the Museo Civico Antonio Collisani, on the same street, is linked. ### What is the Ballo della Cordella in Petralia Sottana? It is a re-enactment of old peasant thanksgiving feasts for the harvest, held on the Sunday after 15 August. After a wedding procession, twelve couples of dancers, like the months of the year, dance around a pole topped with ears of wheat and weave coloured ribbons. It has been re-enacted since the 1930s. ### What can you see in Petralia Sottana in a day? In the morning walk along Corso Paolo Agliata to the mother church overlooking the valley, step into the Badia for the Gagini marble altarpiece and into the Museo Civico Antonio Collisani for Madonie rocks and fossils. In the afternoon drive up to Piano Battaglia, 18 km away, or pop over to Petralia Soprana, 3 km away. ### How do you get to Petralia Sottana from Palermo? By car it is about 105 km and an hour and a half: the A19 motorway towards Catania to the Tremonzelli exit, then the SS120 dell'Etna e delle Madonie. From Catania it is about 135 km and an hour and 50 minutes. We calculated the distances with OSRM on OpenStreetMap data, without traffic. ### What is the Casa du Currivu? It is one of the narrowest houses in the world: about one metre wide, it was built in the 1950s in Petralia Sottana because of a quarrel between neighbours, with the sole purpose of blocking the view from the house behind. In dialect currivu means spite. It is a curiosity to look out for as you walk round the centre. ## Sources - [ISTAT, popolazione residente al 1° gennaio 2026 (stima), comuni della Città metropolitana di Palermo](https://demo.istat.it/app/?i=POS&l=it) - [Ente Parco delle Madonie, contatti e sede](https://www.parcodellemadonie.it/contatti/) - [ISPRA, Museo Civico Antonio Collisani](https://www.isprambiente.gov.it/it/attivita/museo/regioni/musei/museo-civico-antonio-collisani) - [Wikipedia, Petralia Sottana (storia, monumenti, tradizioni, quota)](https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petralia_Sottana) - [Fondazione Slow Food, Presidio Provola delle Madonie](https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/it/presidi-slow-food/provola-delle-madonie/) - [OSRM su dati OpenStreetMap, distanze stradali calcolate il 19 ottobre 2026](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright) --- Markdown version of the page https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/petralia-sottana/, from Le Madonie (lemadonie.it), an independent guide to the Madonie. Facts with source and date of check.