Nature
Abies nebrodensis, the Sicilian fir: where to see it
Abies nebrodensis: about 30 adult trees in the wild, all near Polizzi Generosa. What it looks like, why it may vanish, how it is protected, where to see it.
Polizzi Generosa · 920 m a.s.l.
Things to do in Polizzi Generosa
In Polizzi Generosa the morning is for the town: Via Giovanni Borgese with its view over the Imera valley, the mother church with the Flemish triptych, the Badia Vecchia and Badia Nuova, San Nicolò de Franchis and Palazzo Gagliardo. Between churches, a slice of sfoglio.
The afternoon is for the mountains. From the SP119 starts the trail to the last Abies nebrodensis in the Vallone Madonna degli Angeli; a little higher is Monte Quacella. Below you will find the guides, trails and experiences linked to the town.
For Polizzi Generosa we have 31 guides, 5 trails and 3 itineraries.
What to see in town
- Chiesa Madre di Santa Maria Assunta with the Flemish triptych
- Chiesa di Santa Margherita or Badia Vecchia
- Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie or Badia Nuova
- Chiesa di San Nicolò de Franchis (1167)
- Palazzo Gagliardo
- Ruins of the Commenda of the Knights of Malta
- Viewpoint over the Imera valley
- Vallone Madonna degli Angeli and the last Abies nebrodensis
Guides
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.
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.
Things to do
Hiking in the Madonie: areas, seasons, CAI grades and guides
Hiking in the Madonie Park: where to walk, the right season, the CAI difficulty scale, the Sentiero Italia, hiking guides, the CAI and the Park rules.
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.
Info
How to get to the Madonie: plane, train, bus and car
How to reach the Madonie from Palermo, Catania and the airports: trains to Cefalù, buses to Castelbuono and Gangi, motorways, with checked timetables.
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.
Nature
Madonie beech woods: ancient trees and autumn colours
Madonie woods: beech forests up to 1,900 m, holm oaks, cork oaks, giant hollies and trees 800 years old. Where they are, how to tell them apart and when to go.
Food
Madonie cheeses: provola, caciocavallo and ricotta
Madonie cheeses one by one: Slow Food provola, caciocavallo, Gratteri's canestrato, ricotta and tuma, with farms to visit, cheese festivals and pairings.
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.
Info
Madonie Park rules: zones, bans and what you can do
The rules of the Madonie Park: zones A, B, C and D, official bans, camping, fires, mushrooms, dogs, drones and cars, with sources from the Ente Parco.
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 peaks: heights and summits over 1,800 metres
The peaks of the Madonie: Pizzo Carbonara 1,979 m, Pizzo Antenna Grande, Monte San Salvatore, Quacella and Mufara. Table of heights, trails and practical tips.
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.
Food
Madonie recipes: sfoglio of Polizzi, vastedda and more
Documented Madonie recipes step by step: Castelbuono's testa di turco, Polizzi's sfoglio, Gratteri's vastedda fritta and taralle, bread and broad beans.
Nature
Madonie viewpoints: views of Etna and the Aeolian Islands
The best viewpoints in the Madonie: Pizzo Carbonara, Madonna dell'Alto, Monte San Salvatore, Pollina and the SP54 lookouts. Where to see Etna and the Aeolians.
Nature
Madonie wildlife: golden eagles, vultures and fallow deer
Madonie wildlife: golden eagles, griffon vultures back after 70 years, Egyptian vultures, fallow deer, porcupines and the Parnassius apollo siciliae butterfly.
Info
Maps, GPX tracks and apps for the Madonie
Finding your way in the Madonie: CAI waymarks, the Ente Parco trail map, OpenStreetMap, offline apps, GPX tracks and what to do when there is no signal.
Things to do
Mountain biking in the Madonie: forest roads and touring
MTB and e-bikes in the Madonie: where to ride around Piano Battaglia and Piano Zucchi, the CAI scale, the Ciclovia dei Parchi, bike hire and Park rules.
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.
Info
Safety in the Madonie: emergency numbers, rescue and risks
Safety in the Madonie: 112 and mountain rescue, 1515 for fires, hospitals, warnings to check, typical risks and what to carry on a hike in the Park.
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.
Things to do
The Madonie with kids: adventure parks, stars and snow
What to do in the Madonie with children: Parco Avventura Madonie, Pollina Adventure, GAL Hassin, picnic areas, easy trails and sledging, with 2026 prices.
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 Polizzi Generosa
For experienced hikers Polizzi Generosa · Out and back
Monte Quacella: trails and routes to the summit
Hiking trail Piano Noce, SP119 · Out and back
Monte San Salvatore, the second peak of the Madonie
Portella Colla · Point to point
Trail 561, from Portella Colla to Piano Cervi
- Distance
- about 10 km
- Time
- about 3 h
Hiking trail Contrada Quacella, SP119 · Loop
Vallone Madonna degli Angeli and the Abies nebrodensis
Polizzi Generosa · Point to point
Via dei Frati, stage 4: Polizzi to Petralia Sottana
- Distance
- about 18 km
- Time
- about 6 h 30
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.
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.
1 day
The Madonie in one day from Palermo: a road trip itinerary
The Madonie in one day from Palermo: a 250 km loop through Polizzi Generosa, Piano Battaglia and Castelbuono. Driving times, a hike, a shorter loop from Cefalù.
In nearby villages
Villages within 15 km of Polizzi Generosa as the crow flies, nearest first:
- Things to do in Castellana Sicula 19 entries · 4.8 km
- Things to do in Petralia Sottana 45 entries · 7.9 km
- Things to do in Petralia Soprana 22 entries · 9.4 km
- Things to do in Caltavuturo 16 entries · 9.8 km
Frequently asked questions
- What is there to see in Polizzi Generosa?
- What to see in the village: Chiesa Madre di Santa Maria Assunta with the Flemish triptych, Chiesa di Santa Margherita or Badia Vecchia, Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie or Badia Nuova, Chiesa di San Nicolò de Franchis (1167) and Palazzo Gagliardo. For Polizzi Generosa we have 31 guides, 5 trails and 3 itineraries.
- What is there to do near Polizzi Generosa?
- Within 15 km as the crow flies: Castellana Sicula (19 entries, 4.8 km), Petralia Sottana (45 entries, 7.9 km), Petralia Soprana (22 entries, 9.4 km) and Caltavuturo (16 entries, 9.8 km).