Il borgo di mare sul golfo più grande della Sicilia
With its typical amphitheater shape, Castellammare del Golfo offers a unique and suggestive view from the belvedere. The layout of the historic center crossed by Arab stairways and the picturesque harbor dotted with colorful boats create an atmosphere so suggestive that it will leave you breathless at any time of the day.
Discover the beauty of its alleys that open onto memorable glimpses of the sea.
Right on the sea stands the imposing Arab-Norman Castle, which was mentioned for the first time by the geographer Idrisi in his "Book of King Roger" of 1154.
Its construction is due to the Arabs who erected it, around the 10th century, on the ruins of pre-existing fortifications. Later expanded by the Normans, it then became an imposing fortress under the domination of the Swabians who surrounded it with walls and erected towers. Initially, the Castle was accessed thanks to a drawbridge which was later replaced by a brick bridge.
Today the castle houses the Museum Centre "The Memory of the Mediterranean": Museum of Water and Mills, Museum of Productive Activities, Archaeological Museum and Museum of Maritime Activities.
In the centre of the old city, almost at the edge of the city walls, stands the Mother Church dedicated to the Virgin of Help, built on the foundations of previous buildings.
The building, although influenced by the Baroque, has a façade in a simple and slender style, with soft lines that blend well with the internal harmony of its three naves and nine altars.
A stop at the Belvedere is a must for a view of the city and the entire gulf, the largest in Sicily, before reaching nearby Scopello.
The beauty of the Faraglioni of Scopello is now known throughout the world, a picturesque and scenic place used several times as a location for famous films including Ocean's Eleven.
It was the Arabs who chose this corner of paradise to establish the ancient Scopello tuna fishery.
The Tonnara, which also belonged to the Florio family for a period, is one of the most important and well-known in all of Sicily. Transformed a few years ago into a hotel, it now allows everyone to enjoy its beauty and its sea with precious seabeds, unmissable for snorkeling lovers.
With a ticket of a few euros you can spend a day inside and also visit the private part of the building that holds the secrets and tools of the ancient world of tuna fishing.
Behind the tuna fishery, on top of a small hill, is the Baglio di Scopello. A place that sums up all the charm of places where time seems to have stopped.
You can't leave this place without first tasting its specialty, pane cunzato.
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