The town developed during the early Middle Ages around the Ventimiglia Castle, high in the Madonie. From the amphitheatre of Pietrarossa you can enjoy a suggestive view both of the sea and of the lush Castelbuono valley.
The Mother church is quite impressive and houses two masterpieces by Antonello Gagini, a bas-relief representing the Nativity and a statue of the Madonna delle Grazie. In the surrounding countryside a very ancient tradition, disappeared elsewhere in Sicily, is still alive: the extraction and gathering of manna, a product used in the pharmaceutical industry. Not far away from the town, towards the Portella di Montenero junction, you can find the former Santa Anastasia Sanctuary, a significant complex which has been restored and which is worth a visit. As to nature, we advise an excursion to the Pollina river gorges, with their smooth sides falling sheer to the river, which are the natural habitat of many a plant and animal species. Next to the very river mouth, in Finale di Pollina, you will find one of the most beautiful public beaches of the Tyrrhenian coast.
The Manna Festival takes place in June. During the summer, the Pollina di scena festival features Greek and Roman plays, concerts and films.
Websites: http://www.parcodellemadonie.it/home.htm
