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Sciacca, a Sicilian jewel

Along the coast of the Channel of Sicily, precisely from the top of a white cliff called Cammordino, rises the city of Sciacca that, seen from afar, looks like a small jewel set in the rock. 

Famous mainly for its Roman baths, its folk rituals and ceramics, Sciacca is a town rich in attractions also of historical and architectural character, which is worth discovering. In addition, it houses a typical medieval urban layout of which there are still many testimonies.

Foto : Unsplash

What to see when visiting Sciacca!

Castello Luna

It starts from the medieval remains of Sciacca, precisely from the Castello Luna, or Castello Nuovo: consists of a polygonal complex dating back to 1380 by the vicar of Sicily at the time, Guglielmo Peralta, who gave his daughter to the noble Arturo di Luna, from which the name. 

The fortress dominates the whole city from its elevated position and currently retains four main parts: some remains of the defensive walls, the large tower, the cylindrical two-storey tower and the Palace of the Count, from which you can enjoy an exceptional panorama. 

Enchanted Castle

Another very interesting fortress of Sciacca is the Enchanted Castle, not far from the center. It is surrounded by a mysterious atmosphere that makes it unique. Inside are kept numerous paintings by Filippo Bentivegna, all very extravagant and extravagant, while outside you can visit a beautiful garden of olive trees and almonds, among which are hidden more than 3 thousand sculptures of heads carved in tree trunks or rocks.

Cathedral of Sciacca

When visiting Sciacca it is impossible not to visit the Cathedral, which is located in Piazza Don Minzoni. Dedicated to Santa Maria Maddalena, it has a Latin cross structure with 3 apses from the Norman era. 

On the outside it is extremely majestic, with the baroque facade decorated with marble statues, while the interior fascinates visitors for its frescoes, starting with the ceiling of the nave that depicts the Apocalypse and continuing with the side aisles, where episodes of Mary Magdalene’s life alternate.

Palazzo Steripinto

Among the most beautiful works of civil architecture in Sciacca is the Palazzo Steripinto, an aristocratic residence built at the beginning of the 16th century in the Gothic-Catalan style. Its main feature is the long series of stone props that cover the diamond-tipped facade, accompanied by bifore and smerli ornaments that give rise to a very unique effect. 

Church of Santa Margherita

The Church of Santa Margherita, founded in 1342 by Eleonora d’Aragona, has a main entrance in Catalan style, while the marble door was built later, in 1468. The interior is a single nave, characterized by typical elements of the baroque style, but the real protagonist is the coffered ceiling decorated with gold ornaments and whose center is a canvas depicting the image of Mary Immaculate. 

Currently, the church is closed to worship and is intended for exhibitions, conferences and concerts.

Scaglione Museum

Not far from the Duomo, there is the Scaglione Museum, dedicated to the collector Francesco Scaglione and inaugurated in 1988. The interior, divided into several rooms decorated with Greek motifs, preserves a historical and cultural heritage of significant interest: you can admire, in fact, antique furniture and ceramics, coins from the Roman era, paintings by Italian and foreign artists of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, photographs and postcards, weapons and other period objects.

City gates

Among the testimonies of the medieval past of Sciacca are the numerous gates included in the defensive walls and used in the past to enter/ exit the city. The main ones are Porta Palermo, built during the reign of Charles II of Bourbon, Porta Salvatore, which shows the coat of arms of the city, and Porta S. Calogero. 

Hermitage of San Calogero

And just to San Calogero is dedicated, about 7 kilometers from the center, the Hermitage of San Calogero, erected on an ancient church where, it is said, the Saint healed the sick and hosted pilgrims passing through. 

Its construction began in 1530 at the behest of Bishop Mariano Manno: the facade is white, with 4 pillars of lava stone that support the overhanging cornice; the interior, instead, is a single nave with 8 side altars and a high altar on which there is a statue of San Calogero. 

Cape San Marco beach

A holiday that is also worth a little fun and Sciacca natural beauty certainly do not lack; among these, undoubtedly includes the Cape San Marco Beach, which offers both an equipped area and a part of the beach. It is a real paradise where you can sunbathe, swim in the clear sea and relax, even with children. 

Caves of the Charger

Finally, for those who love adventure, the Caves of the Charger are to be seen: reopened to the public a few years ago, the museum is still in the stage of preparation, but it is still possible to visit some of the tunnels and galleries present, also in the company of tour guides, to discover a different and, certainly, more genuine Sciacca.

Copertina: Unsplash

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