Sicily · Palermo
Geraci Siculo
A Madonie ridge village at 1,077 meters, capital of the Ventimiglia marquisate from 1258 and the first marquisate granted in Sicily.
- Best time
- Jun–Sep, Dec–Mar
- By car
- 1 h 46 min from Palermo
- Population
- 1,702
Known for
VENTIMIGLIA MARQUISATE
The first marquisate granted in Sicily, elevated 1258, with the Ventimiglia family ruling the county of Geraci from the ridge castle.
HIGHEST BORGO
At 1,077 meters, the highest borgo in the Parco delle Madonie and among the highest villages on the island.
MADONIE PASTURE
Sheep and goat economy on the surrounding peaks, supplying the provola, ricotta and pecorino of the inner Madonie.
When to visit
Best · Jun–Sep, Dec–Mar
- J8°
- F10°
- M11°
- A14°
- M19°
- J25°
- J29°
- A28°
- S24°
- O19°
- N14°
- D10°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime averages, 2020–2024. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
The festa: Bartolomeo, 24 August
Why come
Geraci Siculo sits at 1,077 meters on a sandstone ridge in the Madonie, the highest borgo of the Parco delle Madonie and one of the highest in Sicily. The first fortified nucleus dates to the mid-eighth century, when Byzantines retreated inland to escape Arab raids. After the Norman conquest Roger I of Hauteville created the County of Geraci in 1072 and gave it to the Ventimiglia family; in 1258 the county was elevated to the first marquisate granted in Sicily.
The Castello dei Ventimiglia, on the massive sandstone rock above the village, reached its definitive form in the early fourteenth century and still dominates the skyline. From the ridge the view runs from Etna in the southeast to the Aeolian Islands in the north. The Madonie pasture economy underwrites the local cheese, particularly provola dei Nebrodi and ricotta from sheep flocks on the surrounding peaks. The village placed third in the national Borgo dei Borghi competition.
The Sunday letter
Geraci Siculo is on our list. Its letter is still to come.
We are writing about all 1,000 of these towns, one at a time, in a free letter every Sunday: the photo, the food, the festa. That is our mission. Sign up and you will be there when Geraci Siculo comes up. By Peter & Sophia, from Pietrasanta.
Read on
Geraci Siculo in our articles
The 6 best mountain towns in the province of Palermo6 towns, Geraci Siculo among them.
The best towns inside a nature park in the province of Palermo6 towns, Geraci Siculo among them.
The best small mountain towns in Sicilia7 towns, Geraci Siculo among them.
The best small towns inside a nature park in Sicilia7 towns, Geraci Siculo among them.
How to get there
From Catania (CTA), about 2h 14m by car.
By car from the centre of Palermo 1h 46m.
What to see
Castello dei Ventimiglia
Fourteenth-century castle on a sandstone outcrop above the village, the high point of the marquisate of Geraci from 1258.
Chiesa Madre di Santa Maria Maggiore
Mother church at the centre of the village, with Renaissance and Baroque elements and works recovered from the Ventimiglia chapel.
Centro storico
Medieval Madonie layout of stone houses on the ridge, with stepped lanes and narrow piazzas oriented to the castle rock.
Chiesa di Santo Stefano
Twelfth-century church on the lower ridge, one of the oldest religious buildings in the Madonie.
Parco delle Madonie
Sicily's largest mountain park outside the Nebrodi, with beech and oak forest, ridge trails to Pizzo Carbonara and high pasture country.
The slow-trip planner
Building a trip? Find where Geraci Siculo fits in a slow Italy circuit.
Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.
Through the year
What happens here
Feasts and festivals that come back year after year. We give the month rather than the date, because the date moves and the month rarely does. Check with the source before you plan a journey around one.
Giostra dei Ventimiglia a Geraci Siculohistorical re-enactment
usually held in August. Sicilia in Festa
Living here
- Population 1,702
- Remotei
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Nearest airport Catania, 2 h 14 min drive
- Regional capital Palermo, 1 h 46 min drive
Common questions
- What is Geraci Siculo known for?
- Geraci Siculo is a Madonie ridge village at 1,077 meters, capital of the Ventimiglia marquisate from 1258 and the first marquisate granted in Sicily.
- Where is Geraci Siculo?
- Geraci Siculo is a comune in the province of Palermo, in Sicily, at 1077 meters above sea level.
- What is the nearest airport to Geraci Siculo?
- Catania (CTA), about 2h 14m by car.
- How long is the drive from Palermo to Geraci Siculo?
- About 1h 46m by car.
- When is the best time to visit Geraci Siculo?
- Best in Jun–Sep, Dec–Mar. July is the warmest month, averaging 29 degrees, and March the wettest, with about 14 rain days.
- Is there a sagra or a festival in Geraci Siculo?
- Yes. Giostra dei Ventimiglia a Geraci Siculo. August is when the first of them falls.
- Which other towns are like Geraci Siculo?
- Petralia Sottana, Petralia Soprana and Scanno.
- How many people live in Geraci Siculo?
- 1,702 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
The numbers
- Elevation: 1077 m
- Population: 1,702
- Surface area: 113.35 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
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