In the Year of Italian Roots, 46 Sicilian Villages Open Hidden Treasures

Last Updated: May 3, 2024

Nell’anno delle Radici italiane del mondo, 46 borghi siciliani aprono le porte di centinaia di tesori nascosti

From May 10th to 26th, the fourth edition of the Borghi dei Tesori festival will arrive in Sicily, allowing visitors to discover the magical places of the island. Attendees can enjoy a concert at sunset in a hermitage, visit a marble quarry and descend into a cave full of stalagmites with speleologists, learn to cook a traditional dessert with local women, practice yoga with cows, explore lace, delicate reliefs, Arab castles, and fortified towers, walk around lakes, along paths, follow a former railway or reach a mysterious Sican city on a peak. They can also count how many villages have Arab fortresses and how many have Frederick II castles, sail between two seas, walk the Via Francigena, understand how lands taken from the mafia can attract young people to the island. Above all, they can discover the places and traditions that bear witness to emigration to Sicily, such as museums, convents, artisans, and memorial sites that connect with the 8 million Sicilian descendants scattered around the world.

Additionally, since food is one of the strongest and most precious memories, visitors will be able to taste traditional dishes everywhere, discovering that cucciddato is a Christmas dessert from Prizzi, that ’mbriulata lasted for weeks in the farmers’ bags in Sutera, that ancient pasta is not salty but a delightful dessert from Montelepre, that ladies were dedicated sweet crowns, and that sharing a cooked sfincione is better. Everywhere, there will be gastronomic workshops, alley tours, and opportunities to retrace one’s roots. Sicily is best discovered engaging all five senses, with none excluded.

This year, the Borghi dei Tesori festival not only anticipates its fourth edition in the spring, a season in which each of these 46 small municipalities is a celebration of nature (flowers, festivals, events), but also strongly aligns with the Year of Tourism of Roots, a project of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through its territorial branch, Italea Sicilia, led by Laura Anello, president of the Le Vie dei Tesori Foundation. The name Italea recalls the botanical term ‘talea’, which refers to a part of a plant that, when separated from the mother plant, generates a new one. The emigrants from Sicily are many cuttings scattered around the world, and the island is the mother plant. The festival is part of the Italea Sicilia project this year, choosing one of the most beloved faces among Italian communities abroad as its testimonial: Sasà Salvaggio will virtually open the arms of this welcoming and authentic Sicily, promoting the festival experiences on his widely followed digital channels by thousands of Sicilian descendants worldwide.