They are particular limestone mesozoci formations created by the ceasless escavation work of streams, waterfall and tributaries of Pollina River. The location in San Mauro Castelverde in "Madonie Regional Park". Their wilde nature is preserved by local legends too, rich of fascination and mistery. Visiting the Gorges, you back at the end of Triassic when this masses raised from the blue ocean and formed Alps, Appennini, Flysh Numidici, Nebrodi and Madonie mountains. It's fascinating think that this monumental rocks ... have been sea abyss in their origin. Words don't make justice of the beauty of the place, and so let go and verified the truth of what I've said.
REACH THE GORGES:
A 20 CT-PA, exit Pollina-Castelbuono. Follow SS 113 Messina direction. 2 kms after Finale turn right onto Sp 52, direction San Mauro Castelverde. Carrying on Borrello fork and then proceed on SP 60 for Gangi. Arrive at Tiberio town a narrow country street leads you to the rock staircases which arrives at the bottom of the gorges. ... Let's go and ... beware athe mysterious inhabitants ... !!!
It's a pleasant trek. You can do it riding an horse or walking. In winter, when it has fallen the snow, the place is magical , suggestive with the fog. Our trek begins from Piano Sempria (Crispi Refuge). Half an hour we run into an old "pagghiaro" (farmers refuge). Carrying on we reach Piano Pomo, one of the most interesting botanical place in Madonie Park. Here is a spot of holy-tree, maybe the eldest in Europe. Some of them are more than 300 hundred years old and they create a little holy fairy thicket. It will seem to be in a magical charmed forest, in which elves, goblins and fairies can suddenly appear to welome you. We can go on till Piano Battglia or come back at the Refuge. At the back you taste an hot chocolate at the refuge, ... it's your regard for this magical winter day. In the evening you can visit Castelbuono town ... Have a good day ... See you !!!
Ficuzza Wood is in Rocca Busambra. It was created by Ferdinand the III. When the king reached this place its wild beauty struck him so much, that he wanted it like its private hunting reserve. He created also 8000 ha of wood in a place in which it wasn't. You can have different treks in the Reserve: 1. Gorgo del Re (King's whirlpool), the fishing lake, 2. Pulpito del Re ("King's Pulpit" king's hunting reserve), 3. King's Hunting Lodge (dates back at XIXth century), 4. a trek till Rocca Busambra. The last trek is the most difficult, but it's the most interesting for the landascape seen and the places reached.
Caccamo Town is 48 kms far from Palermo. It's a fascinating experienxe discovering its historical
centre walking in its medieval streets, little hide treasures. The whole city is developed around the castle, at the foot of whom was rosen first human settlement, in Terravecchia district.
Caccamo, whose name results from Kaccabe (legendary Sicilian Carthage hamlet), in 1643 received from Don Giovanni Alfonso Henriquez de Cabrera, lord of Caccamo and Modica, such as a symbol of its Carthaginian origins the official badge with horse head (Carthage image) and triskelyon (which represents Sicily). Carthaginian origin vanishs in legend, till now historians date from Arabs, as demonstrate arabic window in castle façade. A medieval atmospheare of tells, loving and political intrigues emanates from its rooms, courtyards, staircases and towers and wraps up the whole country.
After the first gate a staircase leads on a second six-hundreds iron gate which drives at an internal courtyard. On the first flight is engraved a bas-relief: an hand holds in balance a scale. That's the justyce. Beneath it a latin writing, from the Bible: "Diligite Justitiam vos qui iudicatis Terram" D.I.V.Q.I.T. (you, who judge on the earth, have to love the ju
stice), a warning for the judges to act always in interest of truth and fairness. From the high of its terraces it's possible to see a wonderful landscape on Rosamarina Lake. It's an artificial pool, maken about in '30s. Finished in '70s it recovered the ancient Bridge, built from Manfredi III. People tell it was built in the only place don't visible from the castle, to carriage the grain in surplus to Termini Imerese Harbour, to be sold in the whole Mediterranean Sea. The lake, splendid in Spring time, covered from a yellow lawn, emphasized from the green water, today is in bad condition. Trace of fire on the lakefront and great rubbish abbandoned on its shores.
In the town there are many Churches which are little jewels. Among them San Benedetto alla Badia, built on 1615 from the Sister Benedettine, who lived in the near Convent. Nowaday are remained just the Portal of the Cloister and an arcade. It's defined an "arts' encyclopaedia" cause the quality and quantity of the internal decorations, but most of all the floor in maiolica of XVIII century, which represents a ship sailing a stormy sea. The sea means the Evil, the ship is the Churh, the Passengers are the Christians, the Island is the Eternal Salvation.
Nearby the castle dowunstaris a little Museum of "Peasant Civilization" in an old Farmer House built in the rock. There are just two rooms. In one of them there is an old Spanish Kitchen with Azulejos, typical Spanish tiles, azure for the lead holded in the mixture, that gives back all colours white and emphasizes the blue tonality. *
*(news find on the place and on: "Sikania" n.12, 1995 December; "Guida ai Castelli più belli di Sicilia" - di Sicilia e dintorni, by Gianni Aglialoro)
