Visit Montalbano Elicona and discover one of Italy’s most beautiful villages.
With its mountain-climbing trails, white stone buildings, castles, and natural megaliths, Montalbano Elicona is a small medieval fortress whose thousand-year-old history blends with the mystery of powerful nature.
From the various vantage points in the city, you can admire expanses of countryside, the Nebrodi Mountains behind you and the Peloritani Mountains in front. When all this beauty has made you hungry, just choose one of the excellent restaurants in the area to taste the typical maccheroni with pork ragù sauce, maybe with a sprinkling of salted ricotta on top. After all, it’s common knowledge that no one can be wise on an empty stomach!
Here are the must-see attractions.
Don’t miss
The Argimusco Megaliths
The locals call it “u chianu re petri”: this natural area represents one of the most important rocky cave sites in southern Italy. Thousand-year-old stones, which rainwater and wind have shaped as humans and animals, reign uncontested.
Montalbano Castle
It’s no wonder a defensive garrison like this Castle was built in a territory that had been a commercial crossroads for the whole Mediterranean for years. To discover all its charm, try to admire it in the evening, lit up by the city lights.
Bosco di Malabotta Nature Reserve
Malabotta is one of the oldest and most fascinating forests in Sicily. Walking in this reserve means immersing yourself in nature, breathing in the smell of centuries-old trees and, if you are around here in summer, finding refuge from the high temperatures.
Museum of Musical Instruments
Inside the castle, there are two educational collections: one dedicated to cold steel weapons, the other dedicated to ancient musical instruments: a fascinating journey through the history of wars and medieval music.
The Belfiore Museum of Photography
A journey through the history of Montalbano Elicona through the historical photographs collected in this museum. The photos are divided into themes: landscapes, churches, monuments, and alleys, in the history of the village.
