Castelbuono

The medieval hill town of Castelbuono lies in the heart of the Madonie mountain range, with beautiful views of the verdant peaks in all directions. The town is known for its imposing 14^th century castle from which its name derives, which was built over the ruins of the ancient Byzantine town of Ypsigro, high on the San Pietro hill. The castle presents Arab, Norman and Swabian architectural features. Walking through Castelbuono’s narrow old town streets is like going back in time.

Castelbuono is known for its manna, the sap of ash trees which is harvested every summer in the surrounding countryside. Taste the famous panettone at the Fiasconaro pastry shop, a typical Northern Italian Christmas cake brought to Castelbuono by Nicola Fiasconaro, who became famous after producing his own version of the dessert using manna.