In 2014 Ferla was admitted to the ANCI Club of “The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy,” gaining well-deserved recognition for its history, traditions and cultural heritage. The majestic Baroque style of the old town, entirely rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake, is based on innovative architecture. In 1933 Italy recognized as a “national monument” the Church of St. Anthony, an example of a unique “extravagant” Sicilian Baroque. Awe inspires the imposing basilica dedicated to St. Sebastian, the town’s patron saint, with its external sculptural complex set inside a “baroque machinette” by artist Michelangelo Di Giacomo. A visit to the Holistic Center pays homage to the philosophy of slow living that has made this village a model for experimenting with a holistic approach to the environment since 2015. A workshop with recycling materials will be held here to give guests a complete tourism experience that engages their senses and souls. Cassaro is the city of oil and Easter rites, par excellence. The matrix of the name may derive from the Arabic Kars, meaning castle or fortress. The site was located in an area of great strategic importance, near the once navigable river, the Anapo. After the 1693 earthquake, a regular checkerboard layout was planned and religious monuments and palaces were built by the aristocracy, including the Church of St. Anthony Abbot and the Church of St. Sebastian. The civic ” Museo Visivo e Documentaristico dell’Altopiano Ibleo Siracusano” is housed in the 18th-century Palazzo Carfì. Of great value are the exhibition rooms that put on display vestments and sacred objects, the vestments of Bishop Luigi Bordonaro stand out, including a missal from the 16th century.Another room is dedicated to the almost 100-year history of the “Banda Musicale di Cassaro”.The link with the land is strong and bears fruit in the production of an extra virgin olive oil with DOP, Monti Iblei. It will be tasted in the appetizing delicacies, called m’panate, tasty typical flatbreads, filled with vegetables and cheese.
Program
9:30 a.m. arrival in Ferla and view of historic center
11:30 a.m. Transfer to Cassaro
11:45 a.m. Arrival in Cassaro, tour of the visual museum of the Hyblean Highlands
1:00 p.m. tasting of typical products
Cost 1/2 day – City Tour, Museum and Tasting
4 to 15 people – total of €297.00 + VAT
over 15 people add €18.00 more per person each.
