Sambuca di Sicilia: at a snail's pace through one of the most beautiful villages in Italy

Sambuca di Sicilia (formerly Sambuca Zabut ) is one of the many wonders of the Belìce Valley . It was voted Borgo dei Borghi in 2016 , one of the most beautiful villages in Italy.

Present-day Sambuca was founded by the Arabs around 830 . The city's Arabic stamp persisted for a long time in its original name "Zabut" , which was only finally abolished during the twenty years of fascism.

The snail symbolizes the village, a reference to the slow life.

The walk visits all the sights . Start at the bottom of the city in Viale Girolamo Guasto where there is plenty of parking.

We walk to the only city park and follow Corso Umberto all the way to the end. A steep climb ... The city theater is a jewel of local craftsmanship. Further afield, the Chiesa di San Giuseppe has a very interesting interior with extraordinary frescoes.

We continue past the Palazo Campisi and a little further on we see how the 1968 Belice earthquake caused damaged monastery buildings to be quickly demolished to make way for the Piazza della Vittoria. For the same reason it is a bit further of the Pietro Caruso Hospital (1500) today only the imposing frontispieces and the bell tower can be admired.

We have our first encounter with a snail at the Monumento "Lumacone". The beautiful Shrine of Maria Santissima dell'Udienza has a very striking and elegant architectural style with a monumental wooden entrance portal.

By From the Palazzo Ciaccio we come to the Palazzo dell Arpa with its double triumphal arch surmounted by three elegant balconies.

The story behind the Portale di San Giorgio is that of an ultimate rescue operation of a city jewel...

We climb in one go to the Terrazzo Belvedere O Calvario, a calvary mountain that was only used for this purpose for a short time. Renamed a belvédère, we get a beautiful panorama here.

We descend back and visit the Mother Church or Matrice di Sambuca di Sicilia which is one of the most important monuments of the city. Through the Saracen alleys we arrive at the Archaeological Museum Palazzo Panitteri, beautifully decorated with some snails. This palace, together with the Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo, forms an imposing place.

We return to the starting point past a number of smaller and less important churches .

Be sure to consult the information about the sights once you are there . They explain what you will see!

This city walk is part of a series of city walks and tours that depart from Balestrate and Sambucco di Sicilia and are described in

"Discover all the sights of western Sicily through day trips"

6/2023