Caltabellotta
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Caltabellotta

Caltabellotta

High Sicilian hill village near Sciacca, perched on rugged ledges with castle ruins.

Caltabellotta is one of the highest villages in Sicily, perched on a rugged hilltop near Sciacca on the south coast. The bus ride up from Sciacca winds right up the mountainside and is half the fun. The village itself is crammed onto every available ledge below the crest.

There is a tunnel through the ridge that seems to connect two different climates: balmy and warm on one side, windswept and grey on the other. At the very summit, the Santuario di San Pellegrino is carved into the living rock below the ruins of a Norman castle — a strange and atmospheric place. The views over the rooftops, the Sicilian countryside, and on clear days the Mediterranean coast, are superb.

Caltabellotta has a small but genuine place in European history. In 1302, the Peace of Caltabellotta was signed here, ending the War of the Sicilian Vespers and establishing the independent Kingdom of Sicily under the Aragonese. The castle ruins where the signing took place are still visible at the top of the rock.

Guide

Getting There

Caltabellotta is most easily reached from Sciacca, 19 km to the south. Autoservizi Gallo operates a bus service between Sciacca and Caltabellotta several times daily — the journey takes about 40 minutes and winds dramatically up the mountain road. The bus schedule is limited; check current timetables before you go, as services can be reduced on Sundays and holidays.

By car, the SS386 from Sciacca provides the main route up, with spectacular views as you climb. There is limited parking at the entrance to the village. The drive from Palermo takes about 1.5 hours; from Agrigento, about an hour. Caltabellotta makes a very good half-day excursion from Sciacca — go up in the morning before the heat builds and walk down to the village for lunch.

Guide

Things to Do

Caltabellotta is a village of a few thousand people clinging to a dramatic limestone ridge at nearly 1,000 metres above sea level. There are no formal attractions in the tourist sense — what you come for is the climb to the summit, the rock-cut sanctuary, the Norman castle ruins, and the views. Allow two to three hours for a proper wander from the bus stop to the top and back.