Path of San Nicolò Politi

8 km

Our journey begins in Adrano, an ancient Greek colony, later Roman, that greets us with numerous testimonies of its glorious past assembled in the museum on the history of the town collected in the castle erected by Roger I of Sicily in 1073.

From Adrano the path climbs the slopes of the Vulcano, a Unesco heritage site, where we still can dive into a rich and varied nature. We will encounter foxes, porcupines and eagles on the journey, which, as they did with the saint, accompany us until we reach the Grotta del Santo, a cave system that hosted Nicholas for three years. From here the path proceeds through the barren lava flows to Case di Campo Fiorito where, under a starry sky and immersed in the scents and sounds of the night, we camp to spend the night.

27 km

Here the real walk begins.

As we follow the western slope of the volcano, we cross the Piano dei Grilli and arrive in Bronte. From here, along those hills and hollows that the Arabs chose to plant its cultivation, the knotted foliage of the pistachio trees has, for generations, been drawing meandering figures, and the aroma of its fruit sweetens our walk. The encounter between the Bronte PDO pistachio and traditional Sicilian cuisine, with its centuries-old cultural stratifications, gives rise to the creation of unique dishes that flavour of nature, of the Mediterranean, of union.

Leaving the town we pass through the countryside to arrive at the medieval Abbey of Santa Maria di Maniace, now known as Nelson's Castle, where, like San Nicolò Politi, we find hospitality to spend the night.

From here onwards begins the section of the route within the Nebrodi Regional Park, the largest protected area in Sicily, between the municipalities of Maniace and Longi. In this nature-drenched section, the panorama sweeps through beech forests, woods, the Aeolian Islands and the mighty Rocche del Crasto, which hold the Hermitage of San Nicolò Politi. Our journey takes us to Portella Gazzana to find refreshment in the exotic flavours of the local cuisine and spend the night.

From Portella Gazzana, the route is short and brings us to the Hermitage of San Nicolò, a small natural cave in which the saint spent 30 years as a hermit and where a church dedicated to him now stands. The last stop on the way is the town of Alcara Li Fusi where, in the town' s main square dedicated to San Nicolò, we visit the Mother Church of Maria SS. Assunta, which guards the Saint's body, together with his clothes and vestments. Another religious building worth visiting is the monastery of Santa Maria del Rogato, where the remains of St Nicholas rested for 336 years, remaining intact.