180 KILOMETRES FROM PALERMO TO AGRIGENTO
L’autore DAVIDE COMUNALE was born in
Messina in 1981. An archaeologist, for years busy with the mapping of Sicilian “regie trazzere” roads – fulcrum of the Franco-Norman road system. The creator and promoter of the Cammini Francigeni di Sicilia trail, with four identified routes covering more than 1,000 km to be travelled by foot or bicycle. He also published Da Palermo a Messina per le montagne for the Terre di mezzo publishing company.
The official guidebook, containing all the useful information needed before setting off: a detailed description of the route, maps, altimetry and gradients, accommodation, sites that should not be missed and cultural insights.
THE MAGNA VIA FRANCIGENA TRAIL
F
rom the Gulf of Palermo to the Valley of Temples, along the ancient roads travelled by Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Normans. Nine stages towards the discovery of Sicily: the famous leg of the trail with Monreale and Agrigento, but even that made up of the Sicani Mountains with their breath-taking landscapes, or Sutera that is one of the “most beautiful villages in Italy”. Walking through nature parks, fields of wheat and small towns perched on hilltops – this is a coast-to-coast journey uncovering the traditions and history of an unforgettable land.
THE MAGNA VIA
FRANCIGENA TRAIL Sicily on foot, from coast to coast
Percorsi A series devoted to paths rich in meaning and history that has come about to promote ways and styles of travelling that are “light” and within everybody’s means.
Davide Comunale
1 st EDITION IN EN G LISH
A website dedicated to those who travel on foot and by bike. To those who love moving slowly because, that is the way to succeed in seeing things from another perspective. To those who discover History by walking and to those who simply go in search of personal stories and memories. With all the news and updates on the Walks. www.percorsiditerre.it
Download the I PERCORSI DI TERRE app and set off on foot with the digital guidebooks.
percorsiditerre.it terre.it
16,00 euro
How to use this guidebook
Useful information
Legend
Getting ready for the journey
The Magna Via Francigena trail
Useful numbers
Routes
An itinerary linking one sea to the other, through the lesser known and mostly inland Sicily; 180 km and 9 stages along “regie trazzere” – the roads that Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Normans travelled for centuries.
112 Emergency services 118 Health emergency 115 Fire fighters 1515 State Forestry Corps
Stages
PAG
30 1 Palermo ➔ Santa Cristina Gela 39 2 Santa Cristina Gela ➔ Corleone 46 3 Corleone ➔ Prizzi 52 4 Prizzi ➔ Castronovo di Sicilia 58 5 Castronovo di Sicilia ➔
Cammarata / San Giovanni Gemini 63 Q1 Cammarata / San Giovanni Gemini ➔ Santo Stefano Quisquina 68 Q2 Santo Stefano Quisquina ➔ Cammarata / San Giovanni Gemini 70 6 Cammarata / San Giovanni Gemini ➔ Sutera 76 7 Sutera ➔ Racalmuto / Grotte 83 8 Racalmuto / Grotte ➔ Joppolo Giancaxio 89 9 Joppolo Giancaxio ➔ Agrigento
Introduction 6 At a glance 8 Ancient treasures 12 A bit of history
PAG
16 En route along the Magna Via Francigena trail 20 The Amici dei Cammini Francigeni di Sicilia Association
Some tips
Practical information
The Trail: instructions manual 22 The stages 22 Pilgrim’s equipment 24 Arriving in Palermo and leaving from Agrigento
PAG
25 Food 26 Where to eat 26 Where to sleep 27 For cyclists
On the way, stage by stage
The route
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1 Route map at 1:50.000 scale,
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reporting places of interest (accommodation, sites to see). Altimetry: distances, altitudes, locations. Mileage, gradients, difficulty.
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4 Accommodation and other services. 5 Route description. 6 Details of the history and culture
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of the places visited. Significant places to visit.
The best seasons to walk the Via are springtime and late summer, when the sunshine is not scorching hot and you are not obliged to wake up at ungodly hours to beat the heat; you should get up just before dawn during the summer months, plan to hike during the coolest hours of the day and make sure you rest during the sweltering ones; always carry at least 2 litres of water. The first stages do not provide for intermediate stops, hence it would be best to bring enough food to lunch in the countryside. There aren’t many stray dogs, mostly sheep dogs, along the way. But should you meet some, avoid running, keep calm and continue along the way without getting worked up. A good cane or walking stick should be reassuring.
Magnaviafrancigena.it This is the official Magna Via website, with all the updated information regarding stages, towns visited and accommodation. You can also download GPS tracks of the route. For suggestions and updates: magnaviafrancigena@gmail.com.
Cammini Francigeni di Sicilia The regional association supervises and coordinates the entire Vie Francigene in Sicilia network, dealing with historical research, nurturing the relationship with local administrations, promoting their development and preservation in the spirit of major trails. For information: camminifrancigenidisicilia@gmail.com.
Start Finish 0
Main Detours Kilometres itinerary travelled
Roads High-speed main road
Main road
Secondary road
Minor road
Places of Interest 0.0
Fountain
Accommodation To see
Terrain Woods
Farms and fields
Urban Areas
North
EQUIDISTANCE OF LEVEL CURVES 50 M, OF TRAJECTORIES 100 M MAP REDUCTION SCALE: 1:50.000 1CM = 500 METRES 500 m 1 km
Road waypoints