Cassaro

"There's always a shadow appearing behind a ruin stone between a ’carrubo’ and a column. There's always a voice that speaks and that wants to tell, that the world and it's been all this, stop and listen to it, it won't last long, it already disappeared."

Cassaro, together with the nearby Ferla and Sortino, constitute one of the gates of the “Riserva Naturale Orientata Pantalica Valle dell’Anapo e Torrente Cava Grande”. Situated on the hill of Piano Santo Stefano, it has a checkerboard urban layout. A small center with unclear but surely ancient origins, attested by the discovery of tombs in small caves. Cassaro was a fortress during the Arab period, before passing on to the Normans and then representing the territory owned by various barons who succeeded over time. Among these were Francesco Alcassar, also a governor of Pantalica. The churches of San Sebastiano and Sant’Antonio Abate were rebuilt after the devastating earthquake of 1693 in baroque style. The bosco della Giambra has powered the coal industry for centuries, as well as agricultural production starting with the esteemed olive oil of the "Monti Iblei". To refresh the body and spirit, a hike on foot or on a MTB is recommended on the path dedicated to the blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. The route goes from Cassaro to Buscemi along the Anapo valley in a natural setting of great beauty. Along the way it's easy to see the ruins of five ancient mills and the Chiesetta Bizantina di Santo Pietro. These are the lands of thyme, which provides precious pasture for the bees that produce the treasured honey of the Iblei.

www.siracusaturismo.net | www.vivasicilia.com | www.comune.cassaro.sr.it

Cassaro HUB is part of two of the three routes of "Smart Land Iblei": "Il Fiume Cavagrande" and "La Valle dell'Anapo". The POINT is located in Piazza Matrice. The "Il Fiume Cavagrande" route starts in Canicattini Bagni with the stage n° 2 of 23 km and 534 meters of difference in height. Stop n° 3 begins in Cassaro and ends in Buscemi at POINT Fontana Grande after 11.1 km and 297 meters of difference in height. The route "Valle dell'Anapo" reaches Ferla in stage n° 2 after 28.4 km and 494 meters of difference in height. From Cassaro, continue with stage n° 3 in the direction of Sortino to arrive at the north entrance of the Riserva Naturale Pantalica after 48 km and 704 meters of difference in height. However, from Cassaro it is mandatory to take a bike ride along the "Greenways della Pantalica e Valle dell’Anapo" following the old railway track of Siracusa-Vizzini-Ragusa.