9/24/24: Santo Stefano di Camastra and Santuario di Tindari

 

Earlier in the day, Steven and I had spent a long time - way too long in hindsight - exploring part of the Fiumara d'Arte sculpture park, which was spread over hell's half-acre south of Castel di Tusa. Unfortunately, that meant we didn't have time to wander through the beautiful inland town of Mistretta, located near Parco Regionale dei Nebrodi, as we'd have liked.

The town was known for its noble palaces, churches, fountains, and archways due to its long history as Mistretta has been inhabited since paleolithic times and was founded by the indigenous Sicians, the island's first residents. If you look closely, you can catch a glimpse of the ruins of the Arab-Norman Mistretta Castle perched high above the town. The castle had been connected to the walled perimeter that encircled the town.

As it was located at over 3,000 feet above sea level, there would have been spectacular views out to the coast and the nearby mountains' highest peaks. But we missed seeing those because we were playing catch-up time-wise. 

We understood why Parco dei Nebrodi is billed as one of Sicily's most stunning national parks because of its stunning mountain landscapes, lakes, and vibrant evergreen forests. 

We made our way back to Sicily's northern coast and drove east toward Santo Stefano di Camastra, a seaside town as well known for its beaches as its ceramics. Since the art of ceramics has been practiced since Roman times, the town was chock-a-block full of ceramics studios and factories. On the town's main street, virtually every shop had outdoor displays of artisans' tiles, mosaics, plates, and sculptures!

I had great fun traipsing in and out of the shops looking for irresistible treasures, Steven not so much!

After seeing hundreds of ceramic pine cones by this point in our trip, we looked up their meaning. According to an ancient Sicilian folk tradition, a ceramic pine cone cannot be missing in a house as it signifies health, good luck, and prosperity. Since Sicily is known for its ceramics, you can guess we saw thousands more of them before we left the island. And yes, we did bring a small, red one home with us!

One of the oldest ceramics factories in Sicily was Antica Fabrica di Ceramica La Giare, which sells everything from souvenirs to more substantial pieces of art and is still run by the same family who originally founded the factory. Steven and I had hoped to visit their large showroom, which had every possible form of Sicilian ceramics, from basic terra cotta to intricate hand-painted Baroque designs. Alas, the factory was closed.

A short distance away was Ceramiche d'arte Antonino Piscitello Maioliche Santo Stefano, a family business that has been around since 1683. 

The Chiesa Santo Nicolo' di Bari was a 17th-century church on one of the town's main plazas. I popped in there while Steven waited at an outdoor restaurant a few steps away for our mid-afternoon lunch to arrive. After waiting and waiting, it never came, so we left.

Across the street was the attractive Societa Operaia, a historical society.

We walked over instead to the Museo Civico delle Ceramiche to learn about the ancient art of ceramics that has been practiced in Santo Stefano di Camastra since the Greeks colonized Sicily. The museum was located in the Palazzo Trabia, an aristocratic palace that the local government took possession of and converted to house extensive ceramics exhibitions. 

However, after paying the admission, we realized time was again getting away from us, and we left without being able to appreciate its fantastic collection.

On the way to Patti, a port of call for religious pilgrims since the Middle Ages, we drove through the picturesque community of Zappardino, nestled on the coast. 

The proverbial IF we'd had more time, we would have liked to tour Patti, whose sandy beaches and natural lakes have enticed tourists since Roman times. The German writer Goethe was a guest of Patti's religious brothers on his famous 18th-century tour of Italy. A spot that sounded of interest was La Villa Romana, which was accidentally unearthed in the early 1980s during construction on the nearby Autostrada. The archaeological site recovered a complete Roman aristocratic home, including mosaic-tiled floors, walls, and doors.

We only had time to tour the Sanctuario di Tindari, an important place for religious pilgrims since the Middle Ages, after a mysterious statue of a dark-skinned Madonna was recovered from a nearby beached ship and declared to be a miraculous image by locals. 

Religious visitors still visit Tindari and Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass there in the 1980s. The modern cathedral was built around the original tiny medieval church. 

We'd read that we could access the old church from a side gate near the altar, but we couldn't find it. Even though that was disappointing, we still admired the cathedral's stained-glass windows, impressive organ, and mosaic art.

The night before, we'd 'closed down' the cathedral in Cefalu. This time, we were the last visitors to tour the Santuario!

As Tindari was located high up in the mountains, there were gorgeous views along the coast from there.

On a side road from the church and past a slew of tourist shops was an archaeological area that included an ancient Roman theater and a handful of ruins of bathhouses and villas that once accommodated Roman visitors. 

About an hour later, Steven and I sat down to a jug of wine and dinner in a delightful trattoria in the bustling ferry port city of Milazzo, our home away from home for the next two nights. After the long day we'd had after leaving Cefalu and no lunch, we were so happy to sit, drink, and eat at last!

Next post: A scenic drive around the Capo di Milazzo before hopping on a ferry to the Aeolian Island of Lipari.

Posted on November 29th, 2024, from our home in Denver's foothills, the day after a fun Thanksgiving spent with family and friends. As always, I hope you will take care of yourself and your loved ones.