Montalbano Elicona
Member of I Borghi più belli d'Italia
King Frederick III of Sicily spent his summers in the castle that crowns Montalbano Elicona, and the medieval village around it, all steep stairways and narrow lanes, was named Borgo dei Borghi in 2015. It stands in the hills of the province of Messina, with views north to Milazzo and the Aeolian Islands and the standing stones of the Argimusco plateau close by.
Highlights
- The castle, whose chapel holds the tomb of the physician Arnaldo da Villanova (IT)
- The megaliths of the Argimusco plateau
- The Malabotta wood, a nature reserve in the surrounding hills (IT)
- The medieval arches of Via Palermo, ending in a wide view
- The Aragonese festivals, with medieval parades in August
Text adapted from Wikipedia (Montalbano Elicona (IT), Montalbano Elicona (EN)), Wikivoyage (Montalbano Elicona). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Population: 2,038
Things to see
Events through the year
- Feast of the Madonna della Divina ProvvidenzaFeast of the town's patron at her diocesan shrine
- Feste aragonesiMedieval festivities and parades
- Living nativity
Dates follow the traditional patterns in our sources: check locally before you travel.
Adapted from Wikipedia (Montalbano Elicona), Wikivoyage (Montalbano Elicona). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Specialities of Sicily
Typical of the region rather than of this village.
Arancini 002Public domain- Cannolo sicilianoSweet
- Cassata sicilianaSweet
- GranitaSweet
- Pasta alla NormaDish
Adapted from Wikipedia (Sicilian cuisine, Cucina siciliana). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to sleep
1 place to stay within 3 km
- Hotels 1
Data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Nearby member villages
- Novara di Sicilia · 11 km
- Castiglione di Sicilia · 18 km
- Castroreale · 20 km
- San Marco d'Alunzio · 28 km
- Castelmola · 30 km