Floridia is the city of bread, oil, but above all it is defined by its unbridled love of horses and its ancient Palio Ippico. It rises in a beautiful plain with the licentia populandi granted in 1627 by King Philip IV of Sicily to Baron Don Lucio Bonanno Colonna, Duke of Montalbano, after the earthquake, it endowed itself between the 1700s and 1800s with a historic center defined by the presence of the monumental Mother Church, dedicated to St. Bartholomew and the Immaculate Virgin, Patroness of Floridia, and the Municipal Palace, which divide the two large and bright squares. The Churches of St. Anne, Carmel and St. Anthony are also beautiful. On display in the Mother Church is a large painting attributed to Crestadoro, which depicts St. Eligius and the miracle of the healed horse, donation from the guild of farriers and blacksmiths, who collaborated with the master carradors, testifying to the importance of the horse within the local economy and popular culture. The highest recognition of these artisans is given by the Ethnographic Museum “Nunzio Bruno,” which will acquaint us with the traditions of this hard-working community with the exhibition of all the tools useful for the trades related to the peasant civilization, among all, the protagonist is the workshop of the cart-maker, which documents all the steps in the construction of a cart. To be admired, the works in painting and miniatures from the ancient workshops of Master Nunzio Bruno, as well as some valuable carts. One cannot end a visit to the city without sampling its princely products and dishes from the carters’ kitchen.
9:30 a.m. – tour of the historic center
11:30 a.m. – tour of the N. Bruno Ethnographic Museum
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.
