Day 5: Bronte and Randazzo

On the western slopes of Etna, surrounded by the naturalistic and landscape beauties of the Etna Park and the Nebrodi Park, lies Bronte. According to the legend, the Cyclops Bronte (who, together with Sterope and Piracmon, forged lightning for Zeus) founded the city and gave it its name. In fact, we know that the first inhabitants were the Sicilians around 700 BC, over 2600 years ago. Here too, as in this whole portion of Sicily, there have been different civilizations that have followed Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, however the current town was born much later, since it originated from the merger of 24 hamlets by order of emperor Charles V in 1535. Over the years the territory in 1799 was transferred to the Nelson family, when King Ferdinand IV donated the abbey of Maniace and the annexed territory to the Admiral Horatio Nelson as a reward for the help received in the repression of the Neapolitan Republic. Bronte is above all a city rich in cultural, monumental and artistic heritage. In the meantime, I would like to point out the Nelson Castle, which includes the remains of an old abbey founded in 1173, the Church of Santa Maria di Maniace and a large park; then there is the Real Collegio Capizzi, built in 1778, a cultural center; and also the Bourbon Library in which are kept volumes of inestimable value; the “Nunzio Sciavarrello” art gallery inaugurated in 2010 and the “Gullotti” Sicilian cart museum.
Think about it: in the town there are 21 ancient churches! You cannot miss the Sanctuary of the Madonna Annunziata dating back to the first half of the 1500s, with a beautiful sandstone portal inside which precious Renaissance works are kept, including the beautiful sculpture of the Annunciation, the work of the famous sixteenth-century sculptor Antonio Gagini. The Church of the Holy Trinity is the largest in the country and the most important from an architectural point of view. The Church of San Giovanni is particularly scenic, as it stands on a fan-shaped lava staircase and is embellished by the characteristic bell tower in lava stone. Finally, the twentieth century Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is embellished inside with Baroque style decorations with Renaissance and classical elements.
But Bronte is world famous as the city of pistachio! The Arabs introduced this crop, which thrives on the lava rock, producing the best quality of fruit on the market. You cannot leave without enjoying the excellent products and delicious dishes that are obtained from this green gold! You certainly cannot miss the pistachio festival held at the end of September and beginning of October!
Furthermore, you can enjoy the natural beauty represented by the succession of vegetation, agricultural crops, centuries-old woods, from the Simeto river, with all the suggestive lava landscapes that make it an uncontaminated and picturesque place.
In short, if you want to spend time immersed in history, good food, unspoiled nature and breathtaking views, you are in the right place!

If you want to taste pistachio in all its forms, this is the right place! I recommend a short stop here, where you can taste the best pistachio arancino in the world and a whole series of desserts made with "the green gold of Bronte" It is a family-run bar and pastry shop that produces creams, pesto, ice cream, granitas, desserts! The owner will passionately tell you about the art of working pistachio from the earth to good food.

The city rises on the north side of the volcano, on the last lava bank of a prehistoric flow, eroded by the waters of the Alcantara river, in a landscape and naturalistic context that will leave you breathless! Although the country has medieval origins, this territory has been a place of life of great civilizations: Greeks, Romans, Jews, Arabs, each of them has left traces of high artistic and cultural value here. The city has almost entirely preserved its medieval aspect, because it was lucky enough to be spared from the volcano, despite being closer to the central crater of Etna. You should know that its territory is surrounded by 3 well-known parks, the Alcantara River Park, the Nebrodi Park and the Etna Regional Park, and is therefore the perfect starting point for excursions in the surrounding area! The territory is rich in castles and ancient noble palaces. Among them stands out the restored Palazzo Comunale, an ancient monastery in a medieval structure; Palazzo Clarentano is an elegant sixteenth-century noble residence, in Catalan late-Gothic style; Palazzo Reale was built under the last Norman kings. Finally, there is the Swabian Castle, called Castle-Prison, as it became a place of detention for prisoners and then passed to the Romeo and Vagliasindi families. The Monastery of San Giorgio housed cloistered Benedictine women; the suggestive Via dei Lanza is truly a jewel, with its palaces; and then there is the enchanting Via degli Archi, a small street that is a medieval gem, which is a wonderful example of Aragonese architecture in Sicily. The Norman-Swabian Church of Santa Maria encloses 3 apses with the shape of crenellated towers; the church of San Nicolò preserves numerous sculptures of the Gagini school with a baptismal font in the Gothic style; and finally you cannot fail to admire the Church of San Martino, with the most beautiful medieval bell tower in Sicily! There is the Civic Museum of Natural Sciences, which exhibits an ornithological collection. The Archaeological Museum houses valuable artifacts. The Puppet Opera Museum houses 21 pieces from the Sicilian Puppet collection, which were and still are used to stage variants of the chansons de geste of the time of Charles Magno and his paladins. Furthermore, for years the aromas and flavors of the Etna territories have been enclosed in excellent wines, such as Etna DOC Red or White. You really need to discover these beauties in person!

Ff you want to enjoy an excellent traditional dinner, directly on the slopes of Mount Etna, and wake up tomorrow morning in one of the most famous farmhouses in all the Etnean area, I suggest you to book a dinner and a room here at Quota mille! Surrounded by incredible landscapes of lava fields, Quota Mille is a characteristic agritourism just at 1.000 meters on the sea!