Palazzolo Acreide

“Palazzolo Acreide.
the figs open / palms and Norman stones with high domes / baroque staircases and grey saints /
made of limestone / tiles like the fur of hares / crouched on the edge of walls /
green-orange almond of the orchards / squares full of oleanders and sunlight.
Broken village / of alleys and paths / and grim castles / of ancient Sicilian and Christian cemeteries /
where the goat grazes…
The Greek goddess / resists solemnly on a cliff / strong with stubble and violet thistles.”

Palazzolo Acreide, a baroque city and a UNESCO heritage site, is undoubtedly one of the strongest attractions of the Iblei Mountains. The center and its surrounding areas carry the evidence of different eras. A crossroads of civilizations creates a magical place that should be visited at least once in a lifetime. An ancient Greek soul, a baroque one, and a medieval one form an extraordinary unity.

The Akrai settlement, with the remains of the Greek theater, towers over the historic center with the remains of the medieval Palatiolum and the ruins of the Rocca di Castelmezzano. The churches and baroque buildings of great value make the Palazzolo Acreide the baroque pearl of Sicily. To name just a few: the majestic Chiesa di San Sebastiano, the Basilica of San Paolo, Palazzo Pizzo and Palazzo Judica.

From the center of the town, for those who love to cycle, you can reach the targets of three interesting archaeological and naturalistic itineraries: the archaeological area of Akrai, the Byzantine houses carved into the rock at Bauli, the Museo di Antonino Uccello and the necropolis of Pantalica. And for those who want to understand the meaning of the journey without moving around too much, Palazzolo Acreide has the "Museo dei viaggiatori" , an original collection of writings from travellers of the Grand Tour exploring Sicily.

www.siracusaturismo.net | www.borghipiubelliditalia.it | www.comune.palazzoloacreide.sr.it

The Palazzolo Acreide HUB is interested in the "Il fiume Cavagrande '' route and is the arrival point of the short stage n° 4 coming from Buscemi (9 km and 251 meters of difference in height). From Palazzolo Acreide (POINT at the Teatro Greco),the stage n° 5 of the same path reaches the GATE in Canicattini Bagni after 35.6 km and 368 meters of difference in height.