Many unique opportunities, not to be missed: in Santo Stefano di Quisquina you can visit the sanctuary where the hermit Saint Rosalia lived for a few hours; in Burgio you can witness the work of historic ceramists, in Caltabellotta the weavers display impalpable artisan treasures; in Centuripe there will be an archaeological artist who will explain how a Greek vase (and its copy) is created, in Calascibetta you will arrive at the Byzantine village carved into the rock, in Vallelunga you will sit between the benches of a classroom reading Cuore, a Delia you go for the best bread in the world, while in Sutera you will prepare with the women of the village, ‘imbriulate and Virciddratu; in Siculiana you follow the mayor through the alleys of the village, looking for the footsteps of Ayrton Senna’s ancestors; in Sambuca you can admire the Queen’s trousseau and in the prison tower of Cammarata you can discover photos from the beginning of the last century.
This and much more in this second and penultimate weekend of the Borghi dei Tesori Roots Fest in which 46 small Sicilian municipalities open museums, convents, artisans, places of memory that build a bridge with the 8 million Sicilian descendants scattered around the world: in ‘Year of Roots Tourism, the festival is linked to the project of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through its territorial antenna, Italea Sicilia; is promoted by the Le Vie dei Tesori Foundation in collaboration with all the Municipalities and with the Regional School Office, and is supported by IGT and the Sicilia Foundation.
The first weekend was exciting with hundreds of visitors among the 46 villages of the festival in the nine Sicilian provinces, in search of traditions, new places, taste laboratories, forgotten artisans with hundreds of young people involved in the story of places and experiences. So here we are at the second weekend, from Friday 17th to Sunday 19th May, in the more internal villages, gradually towards the sea of Agrigento.
The journey for passionate travelers starts from Calascibetta where on Saturday you will discover the Byzantine village of Vallone Canalotto, the ancient city carved into the rock, among rock churches and cave dwellings, each surmounted by a cross: it is a lunar landscape, out of this world. In the star-shaped village of Centuripe, on Saturday you can follow a very strange lesson in “art ceramics”: Rosario Muni, an “archaeological artist”, with his son Giuseppe creates extraordinary copies of the famous red-figure vases of the ancient Greeks, recovering the ancient mastery that once belonged to forgers and today has been transformed into art.
But there will also be an opportunity to visit the village, immerse yourself in its streets and reach the center Il Purgatorio where Michael Yamashita – one of the most famous National Geographic photographers – wanted to retrace the 17-year journey that in 1271 brought Marco Polo to the then distant Asia, and the stages recounted in Milione. The canvases of Mario Sapienza are also on display.
Going towards the Palermo area, there is Vallelunga Pratameno where this year returns (only on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 9.30 to 12) the faithful reconstruction of a late nineteenth-century classroom inside what were once the elementary schools of the village. To reach the inviolable fortress above Sutera you will have to arm yourself with patience and good legs but in the end you will be rewarded by the view; and it is also nice to arrive at Pizzo San Marco to discover “Li figureddi”, mysterious frescoes that embellished what was once a Sican tomb. It is easier, however, to walk in the ancient Rabato among dammusi and plaster “ghittene” where they will teach you that the ‘Mbriulata could remain in the farmers’ saddlebags for days, while the Virciddratu made Christmas smell like cinnamon.
Among the new features this year, here is Delia where you will discover the places of the Jewish community, the historic squares (with the guidance of Paolo Busub), the traditional (and very popular) Holy Week through contributions and screenings; we will follow the path that led to the washerwomen towards the springs, today a true trekking in nature. But above all, you will let yourself be guided by the scent to reach Borgo Santa Rita: here Maurizio Spinello has reborn a village within a village, 11 inhabitants, a handful of houses and the best bread in the world.
Here we are in the Agrigento area: if in Cammarata you will go in search of treasures on the trail of the Norman ruler Lucia, passing by the prison tower which displays period costumes and reproductions, as well as shots from the early twentieth century; in Santo Stefano Quisquina there is only one unmissable visit (Saturday from 10 to 12, the only occasion) to the Sanctuary where legend has it that Saint Rosalia lived as a hermit. Those who miss it can console themselves (this weekend only) with the Quisquina Cheese fest where, in addition to the many tastings at the festival, only festival visitors will be able to witness the traditional ricotta “curd”.
Let’s move towards Sambuca di Sicilia where we go through courtyards, vineyards and “purrere”: but the fabulous furnishings of the Tomb of the Queen of Monte Adranone which the Salinas Museum has recently returned to the village are all to be admired. Don’t miss the canvases of the painter of the humble, Gianbecchina, the baroque triumph of Santa Caterina, the book collection of the Navarrianba Library. If you have to wait until next Sunday for a visit to Montevago, in Burgio you cannot miss the wonderful opportunity (only this Sunday and only for one hour, from 10.30 to 11.30) to visit the Caravella artisan workshop which has been handed down for at least three generations the ancient art of ceramics (which among other things is magnificently displayed at the Muceb, the museum that Burgio dedicates to it).
And you cannot leave the village without paying homage to the mummies of high-level Burgitans, preserved in the Capuchin crypt. In Caltabellotta another golden opportunity (it is worth saying) given that between the churches of Sant’Agostino and San Lorenzo, the eighteenth-century cloak of Maria Santissima dei Miracoli, created by local embroiderers, and a series of ancient cassocks, as well as unique pieces and antique trousseaus that the embroiderers themselves have decided to exhibit for the festival.
Reaching the coast and arriving in Siculiana, you will find the city of lovers and sunsets, but also the most “social” and most immersive village with its virtual tours (and a sip of rosolio) and the Mete museum, which houses the relics of Garibaldi doctor Giuseppe Basile (they will tell you the story of “Garibaldi’s wound”). But it will be the mayor Giuseppe Zscopio himself who will lead a tour of the village on Saturday in the footsteps of the great-grandmother of the pilot Ayrton Senna, Giovanna Magro, who left the village in 1894: from the woman’s birthplace to the documents that concern her up to the space where work is being done at the immersive museum dedicated to the Brazilian driver, which will be born within the summer.
And for those who want to travel comfortably and without stress, visiting several villages in a single day, here are the “Treasures buses” ready: you start from Palermo and reach the villages, two or three at a time, grouped by area. The guide is not included, but you will receive a coupon for four visits to the places. Reservations only by phone, on 091 8421309.
Le Vie dei Tesori has made the efficiency of an already consolidated network and organizational experience available to the Borghi festivals: Borghi dei Tesori Roots Fest is also a smart and digital event, with a single coupon valid for visits to all places that will open doors. As in the Festival of the Cities, an 18 euro coupon will be valid for 10 visits, a 10 euro coupon for 4 visits; walks and experiences will have separate coupons and booking is strongly recommended, especially for tastings. The coupons will be available on the Vie dei Tesori platform and in the info point of each village.
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