Scillato

Scillato is a village of 564 people, 239 metres above sea level, on the western edge of the Madonie Park (Parco delle Madonie), in the Imera valley. It grew up around water: its springs, at the foot of Monte Fanusi, feed one of Palermo’s aqueducts, and along the channels stand mills built between the twelfth and nineteenth centuries. Palermo is about 68 km away, almost all of it on the motorway.

You come here for a walk among mills and orange groves, for the orange festival in May, or to set off on the Sentiero dei Borghi towards Collesano.

Scillato at a glance

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

Where	Western edge of the Madonie Park, Imera valley
Altitude	239 m at the town hall (ISTAT); the municipality rises to almost 1,800 m
Population	564 (ISTAT estimate, 1 January 2026)
Area	about 32 km²
From Palermo	68 km, about 1 h by car (Scillato exit of the A19)
Patron saint	Maria Santissima della Catena (20 August)
Known for	springs, water mills, Biondo di Scillato oranges

A short history

Scillato grew up around its mills. A mill is already mentioned in a document of 1156, a donation by Countess Adelasia, niece of King Roger, to the diocese of Cefalù, and the place name, Xillatum, appears in documents from the late twelfth century. Between 1156 and the nineteenth century 13 mills were built; today almost all are in ruins or absorbed into other houses.

Until 1961 Scillato was a hamlet of Collesano; that year it became an independent municipality.

Things to see in Scillato

The water and mills trail

After a long period of neglect, the village has laid out a trail that follows the Agnello and Gulfone channels to the Water Museum. Along the way you meet the best-preserved mills:

• the Asiniddaru mill, where the rooms and part of the machinery can still be seen;
• the Paraturi mill, the only one used for working textiles, still active in the nineteenth century, today home of the Water Museum education centre;
• the Rasu mill, the last to stop grinding wheat, in the 1960s.

The springs

The Scillato springs are the reason the village exists. According to the Madonie Park authority they can only be visited at certain times of year. One of Palermo’s aqueducts starts here: in 2020 the Sicilian Region began work on a bypass around the stretches of pipe damaged by landslides, to bring about a thousand litres per second to the city.

The sanctuary of Maria Santissima della Catena

This is the main church, from the seventeenth century, dedicated to the patron saint of customs officers: it stood guard over the road from the mountains to the sea. Inside is a small statue of the Virgin from the same century, attributed to the Gagini school.

Palaces, farmhouses and stone houses

Palazzo Cirino, from the late eighteenth century, is the only notable palace in the village. Outside the centre is the Masseria Firrionello, founded in the seventeenth century, and the Case Cava are an example of local stone buildings. In Piazza Aldo Moro there is a sculpture by Vincenzo Gennaro.

Vallone dell’Inferno and the Stretta di Scillato

The Madonie Park authority also points out the archaeological site of Vallone dell’Inferno, with Neolithic excavations, and the Stretta di Scillato geosite.

Things to do in and around Scillato

• Walk to Collesano on the Sentiero dei Borghi, about ten kilometres past farm hamlets, springs and Second World War remains, opened on 27 January 2026.
• Head up into the mountains: from Scillato you drive towards Portella Colla and Piano Battaglia, about 30 km away.
• Visit nearby villages: Caltavuturo 8 km, Collesano 11, Sclafani Bagni 15, Polizzi Generosa 18.

More ideas on things to do in Scillato.

When to go

The best season is spring: in early May there is the orange festival and the trails are green. On 20 August there is the patron saint’s feast. In summer it is hot, because the village lies low: for walking, choose the early hours of the day. The weather in Scillato tells you what to expect.

How to get to Scillato

Scillato is a few minutes from the A19 Palermo-Catania exit of the same name, the one you also use for Polizzi Generosa and Piano Battaglia. Distances calculated on OpenStreetMap:

From	Distance	Driving time
Palermo	68 km	about 1 h
Cefalù	41 km	about 40 min
Catania	144 km	about 1 h 55
Caltavuturo	8 km	about 20 min
Collesano	11 km	about 20 min

We have not found official, up-to-date bus timetables: for now a car is best. In winter, on the A19 from Scillato inland, chains or winter tyres may be required: the rules 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 Scillato

The signature product is the Biondo di Scillato, a late-season orange which, together with the Scillato apricot, is on the list of traditional Sicilian food products. The village celebrates it with the orange festival. Provola delle Madonie cheese is also made in the area.

Home cooking is rustic: rice with beans, tagliatelle with lentils, pasta with wild fennel, ghiotta of sweet-and-sour vegetables, artichokes and cardoons fried in batter. For dessert, rice pudding, sfinci d’ova and pignolata, small pieces of fried dough with honey and cinnamon. More local produce is in our guide to Madonie food.

Festivals and events

• San Giuseppe, 19 March, with a procession and tastings of local produce.
• Orange festival, in early May.
• Maria Santissima della Catena, the patron saint, 20 August, with a procession and a show in the square. Festival page.

Dates are on events in Scillato.

Where to stay and where to eat

We do not know of any accommodation in the village: tips for staying in Collesano, Caltavuturo and Polizzi Generosa are on where to stay in Scillato. The few places to eat are on where to eat in Scillato.