Experiences in the Madonie mountains

The shimmering waves of the Mediterranean Sea kiss the enchanting beaches of Cefalù. The coast of more than a mile is a a colourful scenery with the characteristic majestic rock, the cathedral, and the historic port as backdrop.

Crystal clear sea, safe equipped beaches, suitable for couples looking for relaxation and families with children eager to have fun, represent a pole of attraction for a local and international audience. For those who prefer deeper depths, between gravels and rocks, the Caldura Beach offers a unique natural spectacle. Capo Playa and the Salinelle beach, on the other hand, are the undisputed and privileged destinations for windsurfers.

If you venture to discover the village of Gangi, you will not only be fascinated by the picturesque landscape suspended in time and history, but you will also be able to admire the permanent exhibition of the master Gianbecchina at Palazzo Sgadari, the flagship of the entire Madonite area.

Giovanni Becchina, who was deeply linked to famous Sicilian painters of the twentieth century such as Renato Guttuso, in addition to painting during his artistic production, he devoted himself to an important activity related to graphic arts, engravings, etchings, lithographs, screen prints. The Sicilian landscape was the painter’s inspiring muse, who threw his emotions on canvas through the colours given to the rocks, the sky, the snow-capped peaks, the luxuriant nature of the Madonie mountains.

Placing himself in the wake of the post-impressionist tradition, through the touch pervaded by realism, the master Giovanni Becchina expresses in his works what Guttuso has defined "the terrestrial poetry". Deeply linked to the landscape and its history made up of men and workers' claims, the realism of this artist corresponds to a painting that bears witness and knowledge, lived life and sentiment.

Starting from Cefalù, by ferry or hydrofoil, it is possible to discover the archipelago of the Aeolian Islands, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.

Seven islands, sisters, with paradisiacal beaches and breath-taking views represent the most popular destinations of world tourism. The Aeolian islands of volcanic origin, wrapped in myth and amazing beauty, are surrounded by a splendid Mediterranean Sea and by a wild and uncontaminated nature.

The Mandralisca Museum in Cefalù is a place where you can still breathe a domestic atmosphere, a place within which evocative historical memories are preserved. The famous "Portrait of the Unknown" by Antonello da Messina is one of the works belonging to the prestigious collection of the Baron of Mandralisca, also mentioned in the novel by the Sicilian writer Vincenzo Consolo, The smile of the Unknown Sailor.

From Piazza Duomo, walking towards the sea along the via Mandralisca, the ancient Badia road, the palace of the Mandralisca family, now home to the museum, overlooks. Baron Enrico Pirajno di Mandralisca, who was a scholar and a fine intellectual, gives the visitor an interesting archaeological collection, various numismatic works, naturalistic and antiques collections and a splendid art gallery. Inside the museum there is also a public library comprising over seven thousand volumes of considerable value and interest.

From Piazza Duomo, going towards the sea along Via Mandralisca, the ancient Badia road, you will find the palace of the Mandralisca family, now home to the museum. Baron Enrico Pirajno di Mandralisca, who was a scholar and a fine intellectual, gives the visitor an interesting archaeological collection, various numismatic works, naturalistic and antiques collections and a splendid art gallery. Inside the museum there is also a public library comprising over seven thousand volumes of considerable value and interest.

The festival has been enjoying international success for more than twenty years. Rich in local suggestions aimed at exalting the Madonite identity. The festival takes place at the end of August in an area of bewitching beauty, in Castelbuono at the foot of the Ventimiglia Castle, in Piazza Castello.

Thanks to the spirit of Ypsi and Love, the passion for music and the sense of being a community, in 2016 Ypsigrock was recorded in the shortlist of the European Festival Awards, among the best events of the old continent as Best Small Festival. In 2018 Ypsigrock was awarded during the Sanremo Festival as the best festival in Italy according to the MEI Superclassification, dedicated to Italian operators in the music sector.

The naturalistic museum Francesco Minà Palumbo, located in the premises of the former convent of San Francesco in Castelbuono, hosts the collection of the Sicilian naturalist doctor who lived in the nineteenth century and after whom the museum is named.

In addition to the large naturalistic collection, the museum also has a small section dedicated to the “manna”, an element widely produced in the town of Castelbuono. Entomological, ornithological and paleontological collections are also preserved here. Like Francesco Minà Palumbo, even the little ones can become passionate about observing the branches of natural sciences: insects, stuffed animals, rocks and minerals, fossils, prehistoric remains and shells.

Living the Madonie mountains means venturing into the various nature trails to discover the most hidden nature.

A quad excursion will lead the visitor through the most characteristic landscapes of the Sicilian hinterland, reaching the characteristic villages in the pristine scenery that only nature can offer.

Emotion, adventure, adrenaline, dirt roads, rich trees, streams and many species of plants and animals in their natural state.

The Planetarium Gal Hassin, Astronomical Park, will lead you to observe the celestial vault.

The Gal Hassin centre embraces the entire Mediterranean basin and leads star lovers to a fascinating world. The entire dome that overlooks it is illuminated by 6 high-resolution video projectors that make up, through a mosaic, the 360-degree image of the entire sky. A sort of cinema whose spectacle should be observed with the nose up, sitting on a comfortable armchair.

The Planetarium is a teaching machine of great value and is considered the most attractive tool for astronomy outreach.