The 5 Best Things to See, Do, & Eat in Castelbuono, Sicily

Castelbuono is a medieval town in the picturesque Madonie Mountains of Sicily, just 40 minutes by bus from the seaside town of Cefalù (here’s how to get to Castelbuono from there). It was built up and ruled by the Ventimiglia family, one of the most powerful in Sicilian history. The town is known for its narrow cobblestone streets, centuries-old churches, the production of manna extracted from local ash trees, excellent cuisine, and summer festivals. Here are the 5 best things to see, do, and eat in Castelbuono!

PS. If you’re planning to spend the night in Castelbuono, B&B Villa Letizia is your best option in town.

Unless you knew about the incredible frescoes in the crypt of the 14th-century Matrice Vecchia church, you’d probably miss them like most tourists do! I was so surprised and blown away when I entered the crypt, once a burial ground for clergy and the nobility. The colorful frescoes inside depict detailed religious scenes of life, death, and resurrection. They are well-preserved by the underground climate.

Ventimiglia Castle was built in 1317 by the noble Ventimiglia family and today houses the town’s Civic Museum. While most of the castle and museum are, frankly, underwhelming, the highlight is the Chapel of St. Anne inside the castle. Walls of gold leaf are adorned with baroque stucco work, believed to have been done by renowned Sicilian stucco artists Giuseppe and Giacomo Serpotta from 1684-1687. Behind the altar is the skull of St. Anne, the town’s patron saint, enshrined in a 1521 silver reliquary bust.

Castelbuono has two excellent restaurants, so don’t miss a meal here if you visit. The restaurants Nangalarruni and Palazzaccio both showcase ingredients local to the Madonie region, including forest mushrooms (funghi di bosco) and wild boar (cinghiale), with a good selection of Sicilian wines. Palazzaccio currently has Michelin’s Bib Gourmand award for good quality, good value cooking.

Fiasconaro is one of the most renowned patissiers in Sicily, famous for its Sicilian-style panettone and colomba featuring regional ingredients like Bronte pistachios, Modica chocolate, and the local specialty manna, a sweet sap from ash trees. The bakery partners with Dolce & Gabbana to produce limited-edition panettone in beautifully designed, high-end tins exported to over 60 countries.

Castelbuono’s medieval core is lovely to stroll through. You’ll pass by monuments like the early 17th-century Fountain of Venus Ciprea, the Clock Tower off of Piazza Margherita, and – a more modern feature – a piazza dedicated to Giuseppe di Matteo, a victim of the Mafia. He was an 11-year-old boy kidnapped and murdered to silence his father, a mafioso-turned-state witness. (If you’re interested in Sicily’s history and fight against the Mafia, I highly recommend this tour in Palermo. It was the best thing I did there.) With extra time in Castelbuono, also check out the Church and Cloister of San Francesco.