The city of Sciacca boasts an ancient tradition of ceramic art, dating back to the Norman period. Our master potters model and decorate their works of art in the shops of the historic centre; they become an ornament of the city itself, making it a real open-air museum!
The Sciacca coral is famous throughout the world for its characteristic color (corallum Rubrum)
and its volcanic origin: due to the exceptional microclimate created following the activity of the
submarine volcano Empedocle and the emergence of its island Ferdinandea (1831), huge coral
reefs were torn from the volcanic layer and deposited on the Sciacca seabed. Our coral artists
hand down the secrets of processing the precious fossil from generation to generation; by
combining valuable materials and precious stones, they give life to refined jewels and one-of-a kind jewels.
Between history and legend, the thermal waters of Sciacca would have been discovered by the Greek Daedalus, who ascertained their healing properties and made the entrance from Monte Kronio accessible. Historically it was first the Greeks of Selinunte and later the Romans, who
exploited the thermal baths of the caves and the sulphurous waters of the springs downstream of the mountain.
Today, the thermal waters, which flow in different areas of the city, have temperatures ranging between 37 and 56 Celsius degrees and are accessible free of charge. The vaporous caves of Monte Kronio (or Monte San Calogero) have been used as a museum and can be visited following the tour organized by the volunteers.
Through the streets of the historic center of the city, historical cultures and dominations intersect,
ranging from the Greeks and the Carthaginians (409 BC) to the Romans, the Arabs and the
Normans, up to the Bourbons (in 1734). Proof of this are the multitudes of churches and
monasteries that dominate the historic centre, the Arab quarter of San Michele and the ancient
noble palaces with the emblems of the noble families of Sciacca.
Immerse yourself in history and enjoy the breathtaking view of the arbor of ancient Xacca.
Art and culture are the beating heart of the city of Sciacca, boasting several museum sites to visit:
The Luna Castel dominates the city, surrounded by the ancient ones City walls (Mura di Vega), was built in 1380 by Guglielmo Peralta and still keeps his intact solemnity. The medieval castle represents one of the most important examples of civil and military architecture of the ‘300 existing in Sicily. It has made itself famous “Case of Sciacca” for the bloody clash between families Luna and Perollo; as well as protagonist in the filming of the moves “seduced and abandoned” and “In the name of the law” directed by Pietro Germi.
At the foot of Mount Kronio stands a mystical place, surrounded by greenery, where you will find yourself surrounded by hundreds of heads carved in rock! Filippo Bentivegna,”His Excellency”, was one of the greatest exponents of the Art Brut and some of his works are exhibited at the museum
of the Art Brut of Lausanne. Unique in its kind, the Enchanted Castle offers a contemplative experience, among the olive and almond trees, allows you to retrace the artistic journey of a man who carved the heads of those he called his own “subjects” and painted the New York skyscrapers on the walls of his house.
On the cathedral of Sciacca, adjacent to the Basilica of the Madonna del Soccorso, the House Museum Scaglione is the testimony of Noble houses of the twelfth century, with rich artistic, naturalistic and mineralogical Collections. The original furnishings, with the vaulted frescoes and the floors with nineteenth-century majolica, represents the only museum setting of Agrigento county.
