Sicily’s Romantic Road: a travel itinerary through the heart of the Island

STAGE 1 – PIAZZA ARMERINA (EN)

The itinerary begins in Piazza Armerina at the Villa del Casale, a Roman building from the Late Antique period and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

STAGE 2 – AIDONE (EN)

The route runs through Aidone (EN), home to the famous Goddess of Morgantina, housed in the museum of the Archaeological Area of Ancient Morgantina.

STAGE 3 – LAKE PERGUSA (EN)

The journey continues to Lake Pergusa (a hamlet of Enna), where, according to mythology, the abduction of Persephone gave birth to the seasons.

STAGE 4 – ENNA

We head up to visit the city of Enna, known as the “Navel of Sicily” for its central location and the “Belvedere of Sicily” for the panoramic views enjoyed from its summit, namely from the majestic Castello di Lombardia.

STAGE 5 – CALASCIBETTA (EN)

Continuing on, we discover Calascibetta and the mysterious Byzantine Village, passing through the Altesina Nature Reserve and Lake Nicoletti, the exact point from which the island was historically divided into three valleys.

STAGE 6 – NICOSIA (EN)

Exactly halfway along, the “Romantic Road of Sicily” passes through Villadoro, a hamlet of the Municipality of Nicosia, the “City of Saint Nicholas”, immersed in the unspoiled nature of Mount Campanito.

STAGE 7 – SPERLINGA (EN)

Sperlinga, known as the “Regal Rock-Cut Village”, is carved into a massive sandstone outcrop and surrounded by caves. With its castle carved into the rock, it is one of the most fascinating rock-cut villages in the region.

STAGE 8 – MISTRETTA (ME)

Passing through Monte Sambughetti, the “Romantic Road of Sicily” continues to the Nebrodi Park, where Mistretta is located. A labyrinth of alleys, churches, and monumental palaces leads up to the summit of the Byzantine-era castle.

STAGE 9 – SANTO STEFANO DI CAMASTRA (ME)

The route continues to Santo Stefano di Camastra, known for its traditional artistic ceramics, which can be admired at the Palazzo Trabia Museum, and the famous contemporary open-air museum “Fiumara d’Arte”.

STAGE 10 – TUSA (ME)

Another “terrace overlooking the blue” is Castel di Tusa, a coastal hamlet of Tusa, with its crystal-clear sea and fishermen’s houses on the beach, surrounded by typical Sicilian rural architecture.

STAGE 11 – CEFALÙ (PA)

Finally, Cefalù, the final stop on the “Romantic Road of Sicily”, where the journey concludes amid the historic narrow streets of the village and the magnificent Cathedral, part of the UNESCO circuit of Arab-Norman architecture.