At about 920 metres above sea level, among the highest peaks of the Madonie mountain complex, stands one of the most beautiful villages in Sicily. From its strategic position, this village offers several splendid naturalistic views, each one different from the point of view from which it is observed: on one side are the peaks of the Sicilian Apennines, from which some of the most beautiful paths in this area start; on the other side is a long chain of mountain ranges that reach as far as the provinces of Agrigento and Caltanissetta. We are talking about Polizzi Generosa.
The origins of this town are very ancient, so much so that many archaeological finds from different eras have been found, testifying to the passage and settlement of a number of peoples from Punic to Byzantine domination, through which the town centre was founded, developed considerably with the Norman domination that made it one of the most important towns in Sicily. It is also hypothesised that the place name ‘Polizzi’ is of Greek origin: for Diodorus Siculus it was in fact considered the Sicilian Athens, called Polis par excellence. The appellation ‘Generosa’ was granted by Frederick II, impressed by the excellent reception it received.
Among the town’s most visited monuments is the Mother Church, which many believe was built at the arrival of the Normans and enlarged by Countess Adelasia, niece of King Roger. Inside, works of great value are preserved, including:
- The Flemish triptych depicting the Virgin and Child between singing angels, musicians,
- St Catherine of Alexandria and St Barbara, attributed to several;
- the marble ark of St. Gandolf, one of Domenico Gagini’s masterpieces, dating from 1482, housing the Saint’s remains, made starting in 1549 by
- Andrea di Leo and completed many years later with the intervention of several other artists, including Giuseppe Gagini and Giuseppe Li Muli;
a multi-tiered silver monstrance, made by Nibilio Gagini in 1586; - a gilded silver chalice, by an unknown artist, from the 16th century;
- numerous paintings and other sculptures by artists such as Francesco del Mastro and Giuseppe Salerno.
Opposite the Mother Church is the Church of San Gandolfo La Povera, inside which are two paintings depicting San Gandolfo.
Nearby is also the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, known as Badia Nuova, built in 1499, with the attached monastery that no longer exists and belonged to the Benedictine order. Inside, one can admire a monumental Baroque gilded wooden case, created in 1697 by the sculptor Pietro Bencivinni.
The gastronomic heritage is also extremely rich: there are several local specialities, including the badda bean and the Polizzi pepper, products that have been cultivated for centuries exclusively in the vegetable gardens of the Madonie area. Another product to savour is the Sfoglio, a cake made with tuma, for centuries prepared by the nuns of the Benedictine monastery of Santa Margherita and, after the suppression of the religious orders, by all Polizzi families who continue to prepare it on major festive occasions.
To conclude, a spectacle that characterises this small town, absolutely not to be missed, is the atmospheric phenomenon of the ‘maretta’ that envelops Polizzi Generosa in fluffy clouds coming in from the sea, creating a surreal atmosphere: this is how the small town almost seems to float, offering a fairy-tale scenario.
