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Visit Castellammare del Golfo
The Gulf of Castellammare is a wide and deep inlet of Sicily, located on the northwest coast of the island in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea.
With its long and remarkable coastline, the Gulf of Castellammare is between the peninsula of Cape “San Vito” to the north and Cape “Rama” to the east. The coast of the eastern and western regions is characterized by cliffs while the entire central part has sandy beaches - from the naturalistic point of view, the area is certainly one of the most beautiful in Sicily..
Castellammare del Golfo between Art and Nature
Your visit to Castellammare can start from the Old Town.
In the “Matrice” Square is the Mother Church, whose present structure dates back to 1726. The façade is simple and well-proportioned and clearly made according to the classical tradition. The three portals correspond to the three aisles of the interior, which is enriched by a variety of decorations of Baroque style, such as stuccoes, frescoes and marbles. The aisles are separated by square columns that support the arches. The central vault is decorated by three precious frescoes by Giuseppe Tresca in the 18th century, representing Biblical stories and the “Assumption of the Virgin Mary”. (G. Tresca is one of the great Palermitan painters from the 18th - 19th centuries, exponent of a “measured” Baroque style.)
The church also holds some interesting works of art; in addition to the frescoes by Giuseppe Tresca and Velasco stand out a red marble baptismal font dating from the 17th century, a painting by Orazio Ferraro (a Mannerist painter, 1573-1657), and a majolica statue of the “Madonna del Soccorso”, attributed to the school of Luca della Robbia (1400-1481).
In addition to the Mother Church, the town is full of small churches, which retain some valuable works of art; among these, we mention the church of Our Lady of the Rosary, dating from the 16th century, decorated with the portal, a tympanum, and a bas-relief depicting the “Madonna and Child with Saints and the Crucifix.” The church seems to date back to Norman times.
Just as important, in the Old Town there is the church of S. Mary of the so-called “Agonizzanti”, with the adjoining convent of the “Crociferi”, dating from the 17th century, and the church of the “Madonna delle Grazie” (17th century), which houses a painting representing the “Madonna and Child”, dating from the 18th century.
Finally, along the “Via Garibaldi” there is the church of S. Anthony of Padua, already existing in the mid-17th century, and the small church of the Purgatory, built toward the beginning of the 15th century, in which there are some 17th-18th century paintings.
Also worth visiting is the castle in Castellammare del Golfo, now housing the Mediterranean Museum, which is divided into four sections where exhibits include some relating to farming tools, techniques and ancient lifestyles and handmade instruments. In the archaeology section there are some Roman amphorae and anchors, which exibit the importance of the ancient Emporium.
Places to visit near Castellammare del Golfo
For nature lovers, we recommend an exploration of the surounding environment - perhaps to Scopello, an ancient village built, according to some scholars, in the site of the ancient “Cetaria”, destroyed by the Arabs who, in the same place, built a fishing harbour.
The coast east of Castellammare is flat and low, with sandy beaches. By contrast the part to the west is highly indented, with rocks, caves, coves and cliffs. Very striking is the nature reserve called “Lo Zingaro” ["The Gypsy"], rich in Mediterranean vegetation, with rare plants, various species of birds and traces of prehistoric settlements in the “Uzzo” Cave.
Nearby there are also the characteristic "Bagli" [ fortified homesteads] with all the buildings arranged around a central courtyard. Sometimes, around these “bagli”, some small villages developed, such as that of “Scopello” and “Balata di Baida.”
Castellammare has extremely fertile lands, which produce white and red wines of remarkable quality, which well go with dishes such as the couscous, the semolina seasoned with fish soup, pasta with sardines and tuna cooked in various ways. Among the local products, we recommend at least the so-called “cunzato” (seasoned) bread of Scopello.
See also Castellammare-del-Golfo history and etymology.