Collesano: a town rich in history and culture

Collesano is a Sicilian town in the province of Palermo, part of the Madonie Park.

It is a medieval centre of Norman origin, located on the northern side of the Madonie, at the foot of the rocky massif of the Grotta del Signore.

It can be reached by taking the Palermo-Catania A-19 motorway with exit Buonfornello, from here take the SS113 until the junction of Roccella-Cefalù, then continue for the SP9 for about 13 km.

Under the Ventimiglia, Collesano had great political importance, the feudal families stimulated the first cultural ferments, so it became the seat of a literary Academy in 1600.

During the centuries a vast artistic patrimony has been accumulated that, still today, is conserved in the religious buildings; while of the castle, seriously damaged by the earthquake of 1693, remains only few ruins.

What to see To visit, both for the architecture and for the works of art that it houses, is interesting the minor basilica of S.Pietro, started around 1520 and consecrated in 1548. Only a Gothic portal remains of the original architecture.

In the apse of the building was incorporated the ancient tower of Guardia, the presbytery adorned with a cycle of frescoes, depicting the stories of Saints Peter and Paul, made by Gaspare Cazzano called “the Lame Gangi”.

In the right aisle there is a canvas depicting St. Rosalia attributed to the school of Pietro Novelli, while in the left aisle, a Pietà by Picchinelli, a canvas with the Madonna of the angels by Gaspare Bazzano, also called ” The Lame Gangi”.

In the church of Santa Maria di Gesù it is possible to admire the statue of the “Madonna and Child” by Carlo D’Aprile and a wooden Crucifix by Fra’ Umile Pintorno da Petralia. Instead, inside the old monastery there is an interesting seventeenth-century cloister.

In the church of Santa Maria La vecchia, located in the oldest part of Collesano you can still admire a Virgin by Antonello Gagini. Then, in addition to traditional ceramics, handicraft treasures are the inlays and the processing of wood, products that can be recognized for the yellow and green color.

The typical dishes

Gastronomic specialties are honey, ricotta cakes, the “Miscufmu”, mixed sweets, the “cucciddati”, Christmas sweets and the “pizzi cu l’uovo” typical Easter sweets. A typical dish is then the ghiotta, cod with sweet and sour vegetables prepared for S. Giuseppe.

Folklore events

Among the many, very famous is the carnival, animated by dancing parties with the arrival of masks from all over the area. We must still remember the “Casazza”, the “Cerca”.

Other manifestations, this time of a religious nature, are: the dramatized story of the life of Christ inspired by medieval lauds, which takes place over many years and the story of the Way of the Cross, which takes place on Good Friday.

The excursions

Interesting excursions are those to the abbey of Pedale to approximately 2 km north of Collesano, to the margins of the wood of cork of S. Giorgio, situated in Zone C of the Park of the Madonie, from here it is possible to continue for S. Giorgio (municipality of Gratteri) Zone B of the Park.

Other routes lead to Monte D’oro, the archaeological area in Zone B of the Park; and to Casale Volpignano, reachable from Bivio Mangiarrati.