The best traffic-free bike rides around Villalba

Villalba is a Sicilian town with Spanish origins, known for the production of tomatoes and lentils. It has an ancient history and some historical monuments, such as the Mother Church dedicated to San Giuseppe, and the Palazzo Ducale.

Beautiful sanctuary with an imposing facade dedicated to the Madonna dei Miracoli, patroness of the city venerated on 8 and 15 September each year.

beautiful castle perched on a rocky outcrop just below the town of Mussomeli. It is said that the manor was built in just three years, between 1364 and 1367, on a previous Swabian fort, by order of Manfredi III of Chiaramonte, Duke of Modica, conquered by its location on an inaccessible hill that made it strategic from a military point of view. The fortress was at the center of an event that went down in history as the "Sala dei Baroni", which we are going to tell you about. Frederick III of Aragon, formally king of Trinacria (1355-1377), governed by establishing good relations with the notables of the island and, to do this, in 1374 he was a guest of Chiaramonte at the castle of Mussomeli with his daughter Maria of Sicily or of Aragon who, upon the death of her father, in 1377, still a minor, inherited the crown of Trinacria (1377-1401). Flanked by 4 vicars, Artale Alagona, Guglielmo Peralta, Francesco Ventimiglia and Manfredi Chiaramonte, she saw them clash because while Alagona intended to marry her to Gian Galeazzo Visconti, the powerful duke of Milan, Ventimiglia instead sided with the Aragonese prince Martino, future king of Aragon and Sicily. In the end, the latter, having the young ruler kidnapped, now compromised, thanks to the help of Guglielmo Raimondo Moncada, managed to marry her. This marital union, born with deception, was, however, disapproved by Pope Boniface IX, Alagona and Manfredi Chiaramonte who gathered in a room of the castle, from that moment on called the "Barons' Hall", the notables of the Island trying to convince them, but without success, of the illegitimacy of that marriage. When Martin the Elder Duke of Montblanc of Aragon, landed in Sicily in 1392, had himself crowned, in the cathedral of Palermo, king of Trinacria, the only ones who did not accept it were Artale Alagona and Manfredi Chiaramonte, who, as punishment, had all their assets confiscated, partly attributed to the Moncada family, loyal, instead, to the Aragonese.

The Castle of Mussomeli, also known as Castello Manfredonico, was built starting from 1366 at the behest of Manfredi III of Chiaramonte, Count of Modica. Although there are no traces, it is believed that the same area was previously occupied by an Arab fortification. The castle is built on a limestone cliff and is considered one of the best examples of the Chiaramontian style, a current of Gothic developed in Sicily during the domination of the Chiaramonte. Every year, towards the end of August, the castle comes alive with characters in medieval clothes for the traditional feast of the Ancient Castle fair.

The Mussomeli area was inhabited since ancient times. The first traces are from pre-Hellenic times, these are rock-cut tombs similar to other tombs found in various areas of Sicily. Other testimonies confirm the presence of a settlement both in the period of Greek and Roman domination. But it is only in the Norman period that this town assumes strategic importance also thanks to the construction of the castle by Manfredi III. The Terravecchia district contains the historical identity of this village, it is believed that it was from that first nucleus of houses that the town developed as demonstrated by the presence of monuments such as the Clock Tower, various noble palaces and some of the churches oldest in the city.

Mussomeli and its castle are an incredible surprise

beautiful village in the center of Sicily