The Castle Route

The Castle Route

Experience: Castles, Landscapes, History

Route: outdoor, one way only

Km: 26,9

Duration: 30 min (at 60 km/h)

Difficulty: easy

Terrain: asphalt

Route suitable: motorbike/car

Ascent / Elevation gain: 693

Descent / Elevation loss: 793

3 Minutes of reading

The itinerary begins with a visit to Pietrarossa Castle in Caltanissetta and the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli (Santa Maria la Vetere).

From the parking area of the Monumental Cemetery of the Angels, follow Via Angeli and then Via Medaglie d’Oro to the Church of Santa Croce. At the roundabout, take the second exit onto Via Re d’Italia to reach the Church of Sant’Agata al Collegio. Continue along Corso Umberto I to the Church of Santa Lucia; go straight and take Viale Maddalena Calafato immediately on the left, then turn left after the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Turn right onto Via Regina Elena and then Via Canonico Pulci, and head southwest, skirting Caltanissetta station on Via Rochester, then leave the city via Viale Stefano Candura. Continue onto the SP1 Caltanissetta–Delia: the tree-lined avenue gives way to wide open spaces of olive groves and cultivated fields. After crossing the small bridge over the Niscima stream, on the right you’ll see the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus with its modern pitched roofs and the geometric architecture of its bell tower. From here, fallow fields dominate the landscape. After about 17 km, on the left above two dry-stone walls, the tiny Chapel of San Giuseppe appears, a witness to travelers’ journeys. Less than a kilometer later, the entrance to the town of Delia is marked on the left by the milestone on Via Caltanissetta just before the roundabout. From here, take Viale Europa and turn right onto Via Luigi Russo, then continue on Via Vignazza. At the end of the road, turn right toward Villa Flora and the war memorial. Here, turn left and immediately left again, then take Via Pagliarello on the right to enter Delia’s center. The Obelisk and the Church of Santa Maria di Loreto stand in Piazza Madrice, which connects a little further south to Piazza Castello, home to the Lucchesi Baronial Palace and the Archaeological Museum of Rural Civilization—a gem preserving the memories of these places. Continue down Via Armando Diaz toward the northwest; on the left you can admire picturesque murals. Keep going and join the SS190, then after about 300 meters turn left to reach the destination: the Castellaccio of Delia.

The stages of the itinerary

 
Church of Saint Agatha at the College
Church of Saint Agatha at the College
The Church of Saint Agatha at the College overlooks Corso Umberto I with its elegant façade in white sandstone from Sabucina, contributing to the Baroque charm of the city.
Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli (Santa Maria la Vetere)
Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli (Santa Maria la Vetere)
The parish church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, also known as Santa Maria la Vetere, has borne this name since the 17th century to distinguish it from the Mother Church, Santa Maria la Nova.
Church of Saint Lucy
Church of Saint Lucy
Within the orthogonal urban fabric of the lower part of the historic center stands the small and charming Church of Saint Lucy, a Greek-cross-shaped building, unique of its kind in the town.
Church of Santa Croce
Church of Santa Croce
The Church of Santa Croce, together with the adjoining Benedictine monastery, is one of the most historically rich places in the old town of Caltanissetta, nestled in the district commonly known as the “Badia.”
Castellaccio of Delia
Castellaccio of Delia
The Castle of Delia, also known as the Medieval Castle of Sabuci and locally called Castidazzu, stands in a commanding position on a limestone ridge in the Valley of Paradise.
Castle Square
Castle Square
The oldest square in Delia is Castle Square, the site of the first human settlements dating back to the Roman period.
Obelisk
Obelisk
The obelisk, erected in 1997 in the heart of the town’s main square to celebrate the fourth centenary of the licentia populandi, stands 12 meters high and is the work of the artist Salvatore Montebello.
Murals
Murals
Walking through the streets of Delia, one discovers an open-air art gallery that, brushstroke after brushstroke, tells on travertine panels placed on house facades the rural history and contemporary identity of the village.
Via Pasquale Pagliarello
Via Pasquale Pagliarello
Via Pasquale Pagliarello is a small yet significant street in the historic center of Delia.
Former Church of Our Lady of Grace
Former Church of Our Lady of Grace
The first certain record of the church’s existence dates back to 1667, when the bishop visited Delia.
Baronial Palace of the Lucchesi
Baronial Palace of the Lucchesi
Construction work on the residence of the Baron of Delia, referred to in archival documents as Palazzo Castello, began in 1605.
Villa Flora (Former Church of Saint Joseph)
Villa Flora (Former Church of Saint Joseph)
Between 1609 and 1612, at the junction of Via Micelisopo and Via San Giuseppe, the Church dedicated to Saint Joseph was built.
Municipal Library (former birthplace of Luigi Russo)
Municipal Library (former birthplace of Luigi Russo)
The Municipal Library of Delia, set up in the birthplace of the renowned literary critic Luigi Russo (1882–1964), is a cultural memory site that blends historic architecture with modern technology.
Chapel of Saint Joseph
Chapel of Saint Joseph
According to oral sources, the present chapel was built in the 1970s, financed by funds collected door to door from the citizens of Delia.
Archaeological and Rural Civilization Museum
Archaeological and Rural Civilization Museum
The museum houses prehistoric artifacts and environmental reconstructions of 19th-century rural life.
 

You might also be interested in...