In Sutera, what to do between village and nature

In Sutera, what to do during a holiday in the village? Here the main attractions, in addition to the food, are the beauties of nature and above all the evidence of the ancient history of the country, such as the Duomo or Salamone Palace, but let's go in order…

Sutera, the village and its history

The area around the village of Sutera has always been populated by man: settlements arose here even before the arrival of the Greeks and certainly there were at the time of the Sicani, but it is with the arrival of the Arabs that the centre, which then evolved to become the modern Sutera.

Over the centuries, in fact, the village expanded, also conquering the territories of the current peripheral hamlets. Having become part of the Kingdom of Sicily in the Middle Ages, the village of Sutera then became a fief, to declare its autonomy in 1560.

Over the centuries, the prominent names linked to the history of Sutera have been those of the Chiaramonte family and the Salamone family, nobles and knights who have left their traces in the buildings of the town.

In Sutera, what to do in the centre

Welcome to historic center of Sutera: in the village there are accommodation facilities, bars and restaurants, attractions to be discovered. In Sutera, here's what to do to experience an unforgettable stay!

The town develops at the foot of the Monte San Paolino, on top of which stands thehomonymous shrine, a destination for religious pilgrimages; visit it, before reaching the historic center. Here the churches to admire are different, starting from Cathedral of Maria Santissima Assunta, built at the behest of Giovanni III Chiaramonte. The particularity of this building is that it was designed inspired by a mosque. The other large and ancient sacred building in the town is the Church of Sant'Agata, built in the fifteenth century and full of beauties to discover with a visit inside.

Among the things to do in Sutera, there is certainly a visit to theMunicipal Auditorium, which is located in the former Church of Maria Santissima degli Agonizzanti, in a XNUMXth century building and the stop at Salamone Palace, whose ruins overlook the square of the same name in the centre. Not far away, next to Church of Maria SS. of Carmel, There is the Ethnoanthropological Museum of Sutera.

In Sutera, what to do in nature? In addition to going up the mountain of San Paolino to visit the Sanctuary, you can reach the top of San Marco Hill, to admire the frescoes of the “Byzantine niche” before time erases them permanently. At the pine forest of Santa Croce hill, you can walk in the greenery, while from Sutera it is possible to reach a stage of the Sicilian Via Francigena, an ancient connection between Palermo and Agrigento.

If you want to get away a little further from the centre, you can reach Mussomeli or Cammarata. From here, in about an hour you will reach the Sicani Park, to discover all the natural beauties of central-western Sicily.

If you prefer the beauties of history, or you want to add a stop at the largest archaeological park on the island, head south and in just 40 km by road, you will reach Agrigento, from where you can start your tour in the splendid Valley of the Temples.

All the surprises of Sutera

What seemed like a simple holiday in a small village is turning out, as you can see, to be a great journey among the most beautiful places in the area, between mountains and villages, cities and archaeological sites, but Sutera's surprises don't end there: in addition to the special food that you will find in the farmhouses in the area, from the village you can also easily reach the sea, just south of Agrigento.

Discover the beaches of Porto Empedocle, San Leone and Zingarello, with wonderful sandy beaches overlooking the transparent blue of the Mediterranean, to spend even a few hours in the water, in one of the clearest seas in the world.

Finally, imagine yourself sitting at the table, at the end of a long day spent among churches, palaces, hills and beaches: the only thing that can make such a day even better is just an excellent dinner! And here you are: the menu includes sweet and sour rabbit and Sicilian rolls, delicious fried olives and baked pasta, as well as Sicilian vermicelli, fish soup and peperonata. If the Sicilian cannoli, eaten directly on the island, reveal their most authentic flavour, do not miss the opportunity to taste the other traditional desserts, from cassata to marzipan.

How to get to Sutera

Sutera is located about 44 km from Caltanissetta. To get to the village, you can choose to travel by car or by train.

With the your car, you will arrive in Sutera via the A19 Palermo-Catania, while with the train, getting off at Agrigento Central Station, you will be accompanied to the village by bus or shuttle.

© Image by Berthold Werner, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons