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Visit Terrasini
Terrasini is in north-west Sicily, just west of Palermo.
From a historical and artistic point of view the highlight of a visit is Terrasini Cathedral of Santa Maria delle Grazie, rebuilt in the middle of the 18th century. (The original church was built in 1663 by Baron Donato Gazzara, and dedicated to Our Lady of Grace). It retains some paintings by the Vito D'Anna (1718-1769) school and by Gioacchino Martorana (1735-1779), and many wooden statues by Girolamo Bagnasco (1759-1832). The church is located between two bell towers and the façade is a double row of columns, with a central niche where there is the image of the "Madonna delle Grazie", while next to it there are the statues of St. Joseph and St. Peter .
The interior, in the Romanesque style, has three aisles; above the main altar stands a painting by Gioacchino Martorana depicting the "Madonna delle Grazie, Santa Rosalia, San Francisco and San Vito". On the walls of the chancel there are other paintings dating back to 18th century, depicting some aspects of the life of the Virgin Mary such as "The Birth of Mary" and "Admission to the temple." There are also numerous wooden sculptures by Girolamo Bagnasco.
An institution rich in objects of great value in Terrasini is the Civic Museum, divided into natural, archaeological and anthropological section. In the first the ornithological collection stands out with an extensive collection of birds such as griffins, imperial eagle and capercaillie, and typical insects of Sicily. The archaeological section is located in a room of the City Hall - in it are exposed some interesting remains of Roman ships found in the sea of Terrasini. Of particular interest is the collection of amphorae of Phoenician, Roman and Arabic origin.
The hallmark of Terrasini is its natural environment. Starting from the harbor, first we find the beach called “Praiola” with the “Faraglioni”, in front of which is the D'Aumale Palace. This building began as wine-cellar of Henry D'Orleans Duke D'Aumale, son of King Louis Philippe of France (1773-1850) and Marie Amélie de Bourbon (1818-1857), and owner of the feud called “Zucco.” Today the palace hosts the Regional Museum of Natural History and a permanent exhibition of Sicilian farm carts.
Of particular interest along the coast near Terrasini are the caves and creeks. As a seaside resort, Terrasini has long beaches, among which stands out the beach called "Maggagiari", which extends beyond the port. However, the coast of Terrasini extends from the "Ciucca" beach to that of “San Cataldo”, among some there are watch towers which give a medieval touch to the landscape.
Heading inland the area of "Capo Rama" is home to the typical fauna of the rocky shores. Several types of herring gulls, swifts, crested larks and even kestrels can be spotted. The caves are home to colonies of bats, but there are also foxes and rabbits. With regard to the flora in the area of Terrasini there is a vegetation in which thrive the so-called "palmetto", a significant element of the Sicilian landscape.
Finally, a discerning visitor to terrasini cannot refrain from sampling some local dishes such as the pasta with sea-urchin, pasta with black squid, lobster fettuccine, and macaroni with fresh sardines. If you want to come into contact with the typical products of Terrasini, the best time is Easter, and the tradition of the Feast of the so-called “Schietti” (bachelors) dating from the 19th century. During the feast you can taste some typical local products (cheeses, olives and wines).
See also Terrasini history and etymology. Note: photo of Terrasini by bjs is copyright.
See the the Sicily travel guide for more places to visit in the same region as Terrasini.