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 The
SS 120 and SS 643 takes along a meandering course into the heart of the
Madonie mountains.
The Park of the Madonie was established in 1989 as a protected area of
approximately 40,000 bectares. It has been subdivided into four areas,
each one with a varying level of protection and fifteen municipalities
can be found within the Park. It's extention goes from Cefalù (on
the sea) up to 2000 meters in Pizzo Carbonara crossing a part of the old
Targa Florio racing circuit and Piano della Battaglia, the provincial
ski resort which is equipped with ski-lifts and mountain refuges.
The territory is signed by numerous religious buildings, monasteries,
hermitages and rupestrial churches, often suggestively isolated on the
top of the mountains. Forgotten along the water lines the mills, the old
estates often built on the ruins of more ancient Roman farm-houses, prove
the capacity of a culture that is capable to live in symbiosis with nature.
In these lands a millenary farmer tradition offers the tastes of local
cheeses and the warmth of the hospitality of Sicily. The basilisk's mushrooms
become precious ingredients for preparing the first courses. The sausages
and the lamb chops bring liveliness to the unending grills. Pastry-cooks
of these places satisfy their whims by creating sweets always more refined,
the " sfoglio", the " testa di turco",the "amaretti"
(macaroons). Wines maintain the smells of an activity that is quite sacral.
Finally you can't certainly fail a good "granita", with lemon,
strawberry and berries.
We suggest you two itineraries easily reachable from geraci Siculo
 ITINERARIES:
ITINERARY I: The Nature Path of " The Gigantic Hollies "(Piano
Pomo)
From Castelbuono in the direction to Bosco of San Guglielmo, going uphill
on can immediately penetrate in the luxurant mixed chestnut and oak woods
under the slopes of Cozo Luminario (1512 mts. above sea level). After
about 6 kms. one arrives at a road fork and on the right leaving on the
left the ruins of Eremo of Liccia. One continues for about 11 kms. to
reach the beautiful green bare patch of Piano Sempria (1327 mts.) with
the nearby Crispi refuge. Here one leaves the car and continues reaching
an uphill path towards the suggestive and easy walk until Piano Pomo.
A big bare patch is dominated on the right by more than three hundred
Hollies and the more extensive center forms a very dense woods. The15
mts. high and 300 years old specimens represent one of the most significant
environmental aspects of the Park.
ITINERARY II: Pomieri Piano Sempria Path
From Petralia Sottana going along the S.P. 54 in the direction to Piano
Battaglia, one reaches Pomieri and with a short route on foot reaches
Case Lapazza, center of a shephard village that offers the tourist the
typical sheep breeding products (ricotta,tuma, caciocavallo etc.) Continueing
towards Pizo Canna and the crags of the stream with the same name, where
the Golden Eagle and rare birds nest, one reaches to Vallone Sambuchi
and meets another shephard village. Going along under the slopes of Monte
Ferro until the Ferro plain one meets a nice water point.Uphill towards
the left, after approx. 500 mts. one reaches the bare patch of Piano Pomo,where
the Gigantic Hollies are found. After one has reached one of the suggestive
landscape points of the Park one goes down to Piano Sempria where one
finds large oaks..
MORE
INFO:
link
to Ente Parco delle Madonie
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