The excursions can be already booked and paid, filling a proper form that you can download clicking here. Please follow the instruction to send back the form and for the payment. The participation to some excursions must be reserved in advance. Some excursions will take place only if the minimum number of participants will be reached (see further details in the description of each excursion).

CEFALU’ HISTORIC CENTRE – duration 2 hours on foot.

€ 7,00 – Min. 35 participants (the price includes: guide)

The tour starts with the visit of the cathedral. As per a legend, it was built after a vote of the Norman king Roger II to Jesus Christ, escaped from a storm and landed on the beach of Cefalù in 1131. The cathedral faces the omonyme square, dominated by the church and surrounded by fine palaces, including that of the Diocese, shows clearly a Norman Style highlighted by the façade flanked by the towers and the apses.

Inside the mosaics (1.148) of the apse are very beautiful with vivid colours and goldplated. The imposant image of Jesus Christ Pantocrator dominates the upper apse side with his right hand blessing and the left one holding the holy book.

Corso Ruggero is the main street of Cefalù, dividing the town in two different sectors: on the west side the medieval district, a maze of alleys with steps, arches; the east side has a regular planimetry. In Corso Ruggero stands the Osterio Magno, residence wrongly attributed to King Ruggero II, later belonged to the Sicilian noble family Ventimiglia. The ancient part of the building is polychromatic, enriched by elegant two-lights windows of the XIII century. Very original for its structure is the Medieval Washhouse, called from the inhabitants ’’u ciumi’’ (the river), still used by the women years ago. It is the mouth of the Cefalino River that comes in Cefalù flowing underground, enforcing the ancestral link between sea and mountain that has incorporated the story of Cefalù into the Madonie territory.

THE ARCHEOLOGICAL AREA IN “LA ROCCA”, THE PROMONTORY OF CEFALU’ - Light trekking; duration about two hours.

About 4 Km; € 7,00 – Min 35 participants (the price includes: guide)

Climbing from Corso Ruggero, we reach the top of the promontory (270 meters), which shape has given the name to the town (from the Greek ‘Kefa’ that means “head” and “promontory’’). The first stretch of the path is flanked by the crenellated walls of the ancient town. From the top you can joy a nice overview of the Tyrrenian coast between Capo d’Orlando and Palermo, downstairs Cefalù with the promontory of Caldura on the eastside, with the remains of the watch-tower giving the name to that area. During some very clear days it is possible to watch the Eolian Isles, the volcanic Archipel in front of the Northern coast of the Messina province. The Rocca is the originary settlement of the town and among the remains of several ages, stands out a Greek-archaic megalitic building, called Diana Temple, built around a protohistoric cistern of IXth century b.C. During the Byzantine periode the inhabitans moved for security reasons to the Rocca and the remains of medieval settlements are clearly visible (cisterns, churches, houses, ovens). On the top are the ruins of a medieval castle of the XII-XIII century, recently restored, where Charles II was a prisoner. The building is rectangular with two towers. The Rocca has an important naturalistic interest with a luxuriant flora and some species of ornithology like a rare species of hawk

SANCTUARY OF GIBILMANNA – Duration about 2 hours

From Cefalù we drive on a panoramic road rich on curves, on which it was organized a car race valid for the European Climbing Hill Championship. The Sanctuary dedicated to the Holy Virgin is a famous cult place in the Province of Palermo, in the Diocese area of Cefalù. It lies at about 800 meters on the sea level on the west slopes of the Mt. Sant’Angelo in the Madonie, on which summit it lied a small church dedicated to St. Michael Archangel. The Sanctuary stands inside the wood of oak and chestnut trees. The name Gibilmanna comes from the Arab “gebel” (mountain) and “manna” (godsend). The Sanctuary has old origins: perhaps the old convent of the Cappucins brothers was erected by the Pope Gregorio Magno in 1535. The actual building was several times modified especially during the baroque periode. The façade was recontructed in 1907. During the Virgo Feast on September 8, a lot of pilgrims come and pray there. In the interior, in the Madonna Chapel, there is a byzantine style fresco representing the Madonna with the Child, and the Statue of the Virgo, probably painted by Antonello Gagini (1625) over a baroque style altar. In the Convent, once an asylum for the foreign pilgrims, a Museum preserves materials owned to the brothers of the old convent, such as vestments, paintings and objects made with poor materials. Among others we can note a polyptych of Frà Feliciano, a Rosary in alabaster of the XVI century and a small pipe organ of the 700.

WINE CELLAR ABBAZIA SANT’ANASTASIA – Duration aout 2 hours

Erected in 1.100 by the count Roger of Altavilla, the Abbey Santa Anastasia becomes the cultural and working center for the people of the Madonie Mountains: during the 1980 the rooms of Abbey were duly restaured and transformed in a modern enologic plant. The white wines are tinned at a fresh temperature, the red ones are matured in french oak ‘’barriques’’ . It is surrounded by 450 hectares of land, of which 80 cultivated in wineyard, 60 in olive grows and the remaining hectares in broom, ash, cork and oak trees. In a reserved hall we will taste 2 kinds of white wine and 2 of red wine with breadsticks and crackers. The excursion includes the visit of the wine cellars, where a guide will explain the phases of the wine production.

LASCARI KART-TRACK – Turns of track laps, held only with a minimum of 25 participants; compulsory reservation within April 20; a maximum of 90 participants will be accepted for each excursion.

The track lies not far from Cefalù (12 km.) It is long 610 meters. We will organize turns of track laps, each one of 10 minutes. Inside the track only 12 Vespas are admitted at the same time, in each of the eight forseen turns. We recommend the maxim prudence during the tours. Each participant has to sign a form relieving us of any responsibility.