Geraci Siculo
Member of I Borghi più belli d'Italia
The Greeks called it Jerax, 'vulture', after the birds that nested on its rock, and the Ventimiglia counts later made it the capital of a county that minted its own coins. Inside the Madonie park, the medieval town climbs a mountain from Piazza del Popolo to the castle ruins on a sandstone outcrop. Farming, shepherding and a spring-water bottling plant keep it going today.
Highlights
- Remains of the Ventimiglia castle on a massive sandstone rock (IT)
- Chiesa Madre di Santa Maria Maggiore, consecrated in 1495, with its pointed stone portal
- Giostra dei Ventimiglia, a jousting tournament in period costume
- The thanksgiving feast for Saints Bartolo and Giacomo, and the Festa del Crocifisso
- Walks in the Madonie regional park around the town
Text adapted from Wikipedia (Geraci Siculo (IT), Geraci Siculo (EN)), Wikivoyage (Geraci Siculo). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Population: 1,702
Things to see
Events through the year
- Feast of Saint Joseph
- Feast of the Holy Crucifix
- Transhumance festival
- Feast of Saint AnneHeld in the Church of Sant'Anna, the castle's palatine chapel
- A Carvaccata di VistiamaraShepherds ride on horseback through the streets to the mother church, since 1643
- Feast of Maria SS. AnnunziataNovena with the dialect Stellario, for the co-patroness who ended the 1837 cholera
- Feast of Saint BartholomewFeast of the town's patron saint
- Feast of Saint James
- Giostra dei VentimigliaTournament on horseback in period costume
Dates follow the traditional patterns in our sources: check locally before you travel.
Adapted from Wikipedia (Geraci Siculo), Wikivoyage (Geraci Siculo). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Specialities of Sicily
Typical of the region rather than of this village.
Arancini 002Public domain- Cannolo sicilianoSweet
- Cassata sicilianaSweet
- GranitaSweet
- Pasta alla NormaDish
Adapted from Wikipedia (Sicilian cuisine, Cucina siciliana). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to sleep
No places to stay are mapped within 3 km.
Data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Thermal baths nearby
- Thermal spa: Pozza Termale Sclafani Bagni · ~1 h 01 by car
- Hot spring: Surgiva Cavura Sclafani · ~1 h 01 by car
Data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Nearby member villages
- Gangi · 8.6 km
- Petralia Soprana · 8.6 km
- Sperlinga · 21 km
- Cefalù · 22 km
- Calascibetta · 33 km