Borghi dei Tesori Festival

A widespread festival among the villages of Sicily

The Borghi dei Tesori Festival is the branch dedicated to small towns of the better-known Le Vie dei Tesori event, promoted by the foundation of the same name together with the Borghi dei Tesori association, which brings together about sixty small municipalities across the island. For three weekends in May, a network of twenty-five Sicilian villages opens churches, hermitages, palaces, museums, and places that are normally closed or rarely accessible to the public, accompanying visits with walks, experiences, and workshops led by local youth. Among these villages is Caltabellotta, a municipality in the Sicani Mountains in the province of Agrigento, in the heart of western Sicily.

Caltabellotta, the village suspended on Monte Kratas

Nestled on the rocky slope of Monte Kratas, at an altitude of over 900 meters, Caltabellotta is one of the most scenic villages in inland Sicily: a labyrinth of stone houses, stairways, and churches that climbs up to the ruins of the castle. It is here that the famous Peace of Caltabellotta was signed in 1302, ending the war of the Sicilian Vespers between the Angevins and the Aragonese. The town is also famous for its longevity, a reputation recounted by its own inhabitants.

The treasures unveiled by the festival

During the event, Caltabellotta opens its most evocative sites:

• the hermitage of Santa Maria di Montevergine, founded by Augustinians fleeing from Africa, which preserves the humble friars' cells and a splendid Crucifix highly venerated by the community, a symbol of coexistence and spirituality;
• the Mother Church, commissioned by Count Roger, which houses the Madonna della Catena by Giacomo Gagini;
• the hermitage of San Pellegrino, with the famous Cave of Good and the Cave of Evil;
• the Capuchin Church, featuring a 17th-century Madonna and Child by Fra Felice da Sambuca;
• the Civic Museum in the Palazzo della Signoria, with archaeological finds from ancient Triocala and sculptures by Salvatore Rizzuti.

Walks and experiences

In addition to guided tours, the festival in Caltabellotta offers slow-paced walks and experiences through the alleys of the historic center, designed to explore the Middle Ages, the memory of the Vespers, and spirituality together. The Agrigento village is part of a wider circuit that involves neighboring Sicani Mountain municipalities, such as Burgio and Alessandria della Rocca, during the same weekend, creating a widespread itinerary through the treasures of inland Sicily.

How it works

The event is based on the coupon system of the Le Vie dei Tesori Foundation: with a single multi-visit formula, you can discover the various places in the circuit, while walks and experiences require a dedicated reservation. A formula that has made the festival a highly anticipated event for slow and cultural tourism in Sicily, capable of bringing visitors from all over the island to these small villages.