Alcamo is a town in the Trapani province of western Sicily.
The climate is mild and its central position on the Gulf of Castellammare offers views of Mount Bonifato and the vineyard-covered rolling hills of the surrounding countryside. If you are at Alcamo Marina it is still possible to behold sand dunes.
The combination of town, mountain, country, beach and sea makes for a vacation full of contrasts.
Understand
[edit]When to go
[edit]Alcamo is practically full of opportunities all the year round: in winter you can take advantage of Christmas events to visit the monuments in the town centre and the places of its "movida" (pubs, bars and pizzerias in particular), while in summer it is possible to walk along the promenade full of very good pizzerias too.
It is also a good idea to visit the town in June so you can take part in the celebrations in honour of Madonna of Miracles (Most Holy Mary of Miracles) or in spring if you wish to take advantage of the mild climate and visit the Nature Reserve and the ancient ruins on Mount Bonifato.
History
[edit]
Though people think that Alcamo were founded by Arabs during the Middle Ages, the excavations in the surrounding territory confirm that there were already settlements near the present town in prehistoric times. Before the arrival of Arabs there were two villages: the first one, Longuro, was on Mount Bonifato, while the second, called Longarico, was near the present built-up areas.
When the Arabs arrived at the village, they saw it was semi-desert and so they founded Alcamo. Afterwards the town passed under the dominion of Normans and Swabians. In time the old mosques were substituted by Catholic churches and only the ancient Arab fountain, still running, and the name of the town, whose meaning is uncertain, remained.
The built-up areas became a well fortified feud thanks to the construction of the Castle of the Counts of Modica and the walls surrounding the present town centre.
In the following centuries Alcamo progressively developed from the cultural point of view, both for literature (whose most important representative is the poet Cielo d’Alcamo) and the artistic production; in fact there are very important sculptures and paintings inside its churches, especially in the Cathedral (Chiesa Madre) where an art museum has been opened in order to collect some of these masterpieces.
Districts
[edit]Owing to its particular geographical position (with Mount Bonifato in the south and the Gulf of Castellammare in the north) a lot of streets have an inclination from the mountain, in the south, towards the sea, in the north. Mount Bonifato and the coastline are also two excellent points of reference because they can be seen from any place in town.
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Corso 6 Aprile is very important: it is known by its citizens as “il Corso”(or lu Cassaru in dialect). This main street starts from the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie and finishes at Porta Palermo; on the way you will also pass the Church of Saints Paul and Bartholomew baroque church with its rich interior and Piazza Ciullo, which is full of young people at night.
In Piazza Ciullo (called “the Square” or “la Chiazza” in dialect), you can see the Town Hall, the Church of the Jesuits' College (Chiesa del Collegio) which is in the middle of the square and has a big round clock, Saint Olivia’s Church, restaurants and sandwich bars. Going towards Chiesa del Collegio and turning on the left, you will arrive at Piazza della Repubblica, where you can admire the Castle of Counts of Modica and find also a large car park.
At Piazza Ciullo the main street (Corso) has a sudden narrowing: starting from this point it is called the “Narrow Corso” (“Cassaru Strittu" in dialect). The Cathedral (Chiesa Madre) is here; if you go straight on, you will reach the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi and finally the end of the Main Street coinciding with Porta Palermo which opens onto Piazza Bagolino, called the "Bastione" (or "lu Bastiuni"in dialect) owing to its high walls of defence surrounding the square. This is delimited by a sidewalk from where you can admire, above all at sunset, a very striking view, together with the coastline of Alcamo Marina. Going down Piazza Bagolino, after two turnings, you will get to a large square where you can admire the ancient Arab fountain. On its right there is a paved pathway leading to the Sanctuary of the Most Holy Mary of Miracles, which can be reached on foot through this paved road, or by car through a narrow street nearby.
Starting from Piazza Pittore Renda, with Corso 6 Aprile behind, you can go round a roundabout (with the small Church of Our Lady of Graces in its middle) and arrive at Viale Italia which ends with another roundabout (known as "La Rotonda" par excellence). If you turn left you will get to Viale Europa where there are several interesting bars in which it is possible to taste some typical local recipes. By taking one of the right streets (Via Monte Bonifato in particular) you will arrive at the Nature Reserve on Mount Bonifato, while if you go ahead you will get to a crossroads, and by turning left you will first meet the Church of Saint Mary of Jesus (Chiesa di Santa Maria di Gesù) and then a small roundabout with a statue of Saint Francis in the middle.
From this roundabout you can go to Piazza Bagolino (by turning right and through Via Florio) or to Piazza della Repubblica, turning on the left.
Tourist information
[edit]- 1 Ufficio Turistico (Info Point Turistico), Corso VI Aprile,60 (100 metres from Piazza Ciullo, opposite the Basilica), ☏ +39 0924 590219, [email protected]. Tu Th-F 09:00-13:00, M W 09:00-13:00 and 15:30-18:30. You can also ask for information at the MACA (ex Collegio dei Gesuiti in Piazza Ciullo), phone +39 0924 24592.
- 2 Citizens' Relations Office (U.R.P.), Via XI Febbraio,14 (in the street opposite Chiesa Madre), ☏ +39 0924 510307, +39 0924 27062, toll-free: 800 011 539, [email protected]. Tu-F 09:00-13:00, M 09:00-13:00 and 16:00-18:00.
Get in
[edit]By plane
[edit]- 3 Palermo-Punta Raisi Airport (Aeroporto Falcone e Borsellino), ☏ +39 091 7020273. You can reach Alcamo, at about 42 km, through the A29 Motorway (towards Trapani, junction for Alcamo Est). The airport is linked by train or shuttle bus to Alcamo. You can get the train going from Punta Raisi to Castellammare del Golfo railway station. From this airport there are home and international flights and several low cost connections; many touristic and charter flights in summer.
- 4 Trapani-Birgi Airport (Aeroporto Vincenzo Florio), contrada Birgi, Trapani (54 km from Alcamo), ☏ +39 0923 610111, [email protected]. You can get to Alcamo through the A29 Motorway Trapani-Punta Raisi and going out at the junction for Alcamo. Shuttle bus services are carried out by Terravision and Salemi for Trapani and Palermo. From and to Trapani Birgi there are home, European and "low cost" flights. Seasonal touristic flights also in summer.
There are also taxi and shuttle bus services from Palermo and Trapani airports as far as Alcamo (for information phone: Gabellone Viaggi e turismo, Viale Italia, 31, ☏ +39 0924 505955.
By ship
[edit]- (from Naples, Civitavecchia, Leghorn, Genoa, Tunis to Palermo), ☏ +39 010 2094591. 08:00-21:00.
- Linea Tirrenia (Cagliari-Trapani), ☏ +39 0923 545433.
- Linea Grimaldi (Tunis-Trapani), ☏ +39 0923 542470.
- Linea Ustica Lines (Leghorn-Trapani), ☏ +39 0923 873813.
- Siremar (Egadi islands and Pantelleria), ☏ +39 0923 24968.
- Traghetti delle Isole, ☏ +39 0923 22467.
- Ustica Lines (Hovercraft for the Egadi Islands, Pantelleria, Ustica and Naples), ☏ +39 0923 873813.
By car
[edit]- From Palermo: you can reach Alcamo by taking the Autostrada A29 Palermo-Mazara del Vallo (a motorway) as far as the junction Alcamo Est (about 64 km).
- From Trapani: along a branch of A29 (direction Palermo and as far as the motorway junction Alcamo Ovest) or the highway 113 (about 52 km).
Between the junction Alcamo Est and Alcamo Ovest there is another motorway junction, for the neighbouring town of Castellammare del Golfo.
These motorways have two lanes and an emergency carriageway; people don't have to pay any toll but there are no petrol stations in these motorways. However, you can refuel in the towns near the motorways.
By train
[edit]The nearest railway stations are Alcamo Diramazione (at about 7 km from the town, near the junction Alcamo ovest) and the station of Castellammare del Golfo (located at Alcamo Marina, about 5 km from the town centre).
By bus
[edit]- AST (Azienda Siciliana Trasporti), via Virgilio, 20 Trapani, ☏ +39 0923 21021, +39 0923 872939, fax: +39 0923 872939, [email protected].
- 1 Atlassib, Via Mazzini,22 Alcamo, ☏ +39 0924 515561.
- Autoservizi Lumia (Agrigento-Trapani), ☏ +39 0922 20414, fax: +39 0923 872939.
- Autoservizi Salemi (Rome-Trapani), Via Salemi, 97 Marsala, ☏ +39 0923 981120.
- Flixbus. Buses from Rome, Puglia, Basilicata and Villa San Giovanni
- Segesta autolinee (Palermo-Trapani), Via Libertà, 171, Palermo, ☏ +39 091 346376, +39 06 164 160 (Call center). Bus service from Palermo, Trapani, Partinico and Terrasini.
- Tarantola bus, Via Marina Petrolo, 39/1, Castellammare del Golfo, ☏ +39 0924 31020, [email protected]. Buses from nearby Castellammare del Golfo, Calatafimi-Segesta and Vita.
Get around
[edit]
Map of Alcamo
In the town centre you can easily move on foot, leaving the car in the large car parks at Piazza Bagolino and Piazza della Repubblica. If you want to visit the near hamlet of Alcamo Marina or the Nature Reserve on Mount Bonifato, it is possible to use a taxi or car rent services. You can visit the ruins of the Ventimiglia Castle, the Sanctuary of the Most Holy Mary from the Height and the remains of the old settlement.
By taxi
[edit]- 5 Io guido, Piazza Bagolino, ☏ + 38848 810000 (extra charge), [email protected]. Car-sharing: one-way or standard bookings. With access to ZTL areas and no limits to antipollution measure, free parking on blue areas, authorized to transit in the lanes reserved to public transport.
- Noleggio Pullman Reginella, ☏ +39 0924 23335, +39 360 439620. Town bus service and for Alcamo Marina and the railway station. Town service: €1.10, for Alcamo Marina: €1.50.
Taxi:
- 6 Agosta.info transfer Ncc Low cost, Via Corrado Avolio,12 (Near Via Kennedy), ☏ +39 333 482 4148. Open 24 hours.
- 7 Taxi Transfer Gaetano Bonventre, Via Magarotto, 2 (Corso dei Mille, left turning), ☏ +39 339 3014593. Taxi Transfer Gaetano Bonventre
- Nstonline Taxi & Transfer, Contrada Foce Molinello, 844, ☏ +39 339 409 8743. Taxi, shuttle service to and from Trapani Birgi Airport and San Vito Lo Capo.
- Serviziotaxi, Piazza della Repubblica, 104, ☏ +39 3388379569, [email protected].
- Taxi Service di Massimo Catania, Via Giorgio La Pira,20, ☏ +39 339 2341981, +39 328 6876416.
- 8 Taxi Service Trasfert di Sandro Carrara, Via Giacomo Serpott, 26, ☏ +39 338 639 0445, [email protected]. Car rental with driver. Airports, hospital and other services by arrangement.
By car
[edit]Car rental service:
- 2 Adap, Via Carlo Goldoni s.n.c. (at the end of Corso dei Mille), ☏ +39 0924 1862802, +39 0924 4935249, [email protected]. €40-70.
- 9 Autonoleggio del Golfo, Stazione Ferroviaria di Castellammare del Golfo (Alcamo Marina), ☏ +39 0924 531871 (sede), +39 338 2208282 (Ezio).
- 10 Gabellone Tatiana Trasporti, Viale Italia, 61, ☏ +39 0924 505955, +39 0924 529549, +39 335 7858357, [email protected].
- LPR rent a car, Corso dei Mille, 153, ☏ +39 328 3149022, [email protected].
- 11 Noleggio Pullman Reginella, Via Domenico La Bruna,18 (between Via Maria Riposo and Viale Europa), ☏ +39 0924 23132, +39 388 8987 413, +39 338 2185 710, +39 360 439620, [email protected]. Bus and minibus.
See
[edit]Arab buildings
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- 1 Arab fountain, Via Discesa Santuario (200 m from Piazza Bagolino). It is an ancient structure for providing fresh water to people and livestock still working, built during the period of Arab rule.
- 2 Arab Watchtower, Corso 6 Aprile (next to the Church of Santa Maria del Soccorso, opposite the Mother Church). Ancient watchtower built by Saracens at about 980 AD. Inside it there are a characteristic stone winding staircase with 85 steps and a big cistern.
- 3 Funtanazza, Mount Bonifato. A very old architectonic work which was probably used as a water reservoir, but according to some people it was a thermal plant. It has a rectangular plan with pillars sustaining a barrel vault, similar to the Moorish fountains of the northern coasts in Africa. free entrance.
- 4 Cuba delle Rose, Contrada Calatubo (at about 300 m from the Castle of Calatubo). A cistern built by Arabs, about one thousand years ago, which served the inhabitants of Calatubo. It was restored some years ago.
Castles
[edit]
- 5 The Castle of the Counts of Modica, Piazza della Repubblica, 12, ☏ +39 0924 22915. W-Su 09:00-13:00, 15:30-19:30. Probably built in the 14th or 15th century by the Peralta family, and then completed by the feudatories Enrico and Federico Chiaromonte. In 1535, the emperor Charles V lodged here. It was a possession of the Cabreras and then of the Counts of Modica, until 1812. Later, during the Italian Kingdom and until 1960, it was used as a prison. It has a rhomboidal shape, with four towers: two quadrangular ones at the corners and the other two are connected by curtains and are cylindrical. In each tower there was a torture room for prisoners, the rooms for sentinels and for passing guest sovereigns. One of the particular characteristics of the castle is given by the thick walls which bound it and defended from enemies' attacks in old times . Free.
- 6 Castle of Ventimiglia (Torre Saracena) (on the top of Mount Bonifato). A medieval castle; as of 2020, there are only some parts of the walls, the primary tower and the dungeons. It took the name from Enrico Ventimiglia, who had built it only for defence.
- 7 The Castle of Calatubo (at about 3 km outside the town.). A fortress built in the early Middle Ages. The village of Calatubo stood nearby and its commerce was based on the exportation of cereals and millstones. In the same place there is an old necropolis, dating back to the 6th century BC.
Other historical buildings
[edit]There are several historical civil buildings in Alcamo:
- 8 Casa De Ballis, Via Mariano De Ballis (opposite the Post Office in Corso 6 Aprile, in the pedestrian area). It was built in the 16th century and has a square tower with battlements, adorned with a round arch that contains two windows, one twin lancet and one triple lancet; probably designed in 1490 by brothers Tommaso and Pietro Oddo.
- 9 House of Cielo d'Alcamo, Piazzetta Leopardi, 3 (50 m from the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi). A popular legend says that here lived the famous poet Ciullo d'Alcamo, a native writer of this city. On the façade, there is the main door and an arched window, realized with limestone travertinoide. Above the door you can see a decoration in high relief, with a compass and a delineator in its middle, between two big drakes ridden by two small angels with a trident in their hands.
- 10 Pia Opera Pastore, Via Pia Opera Pastore (next to Porta Trapani). Designed by the architect Giovan Battista Palazzotto in 1872, the building is in a neoclassical style, with triangular windows. On the main door, there is the family coat of arms represented with a sheperd's crook, three stars and a tower.
- 11 Palazzo Fraccia, Via XI Febbraio, 8 (opposite the Basilica Maria Assunta). In baroque style, it was built about the year 1700. Above the balcony, there is the family coat of arms: an injured heart surmounted by a crown.
- 12 Palazzo Rocca, Corso VI Aprile (next to Saints Paul and Bartholomew's church). It was built about the year 1629. Its portals and brackets are made with carved stones.
- 13 Palazzo Rossotti-Chiarelli, via Rossotti,30 (300 m from the Basilica). Built in the 18th century, it has a portal, railings and balconies in a baroque style.
- 14 Palazzo Peria, corso VI Aprile (opposite Centro Congresso Marconi). Built in about the year 1700; this palace has two floors and has been restored with the Livigni method.
- 15 Palazzo Di Gregorio, via Dante Alighieri (200 m from Piazza Ciullo). It was built about the 17th century in a neoclassical style.
- 16 Palazzo Patti, Piazza Ciullo. Built in the 18th century, it has been totally restored internally. On the ground floor, there are three entrances, today leading into three shops, and an arch at the beginning of via Pipitone Cangialosi. The portal has two decorated lenses. The openings in the balconies are surmounted by a stone fronton.
- 17 Town Hall (Palazzo Conunale), Piazza Ciullo. Built in 1843, its façade is in neoclassical style: on the ground floor, there are two windows with arches and the main door. On the first and second floor, there are three balconies with stone brackets and galleries. On both sides of the central balcony of the second floor, there are two tondos: on the right one there is an eagle, which represents the coat of arms of the town.
- 18 Palazzo Ferrara, via Francesco Crispi (opposite the Hospital). In a classical style, it was built in 1909 by the brothers Benedetto and Graziano Ferrara. The main façade is rusticated, with three round-arched openings. The main balcony is supported by brackets of limestone travertinoide, and has a wrought iron railing.
- 19 Palazzo Pastore, Corso VI Aprile (100 m from Piazza Ciullo). Built at the end of the 18th century in neoclassical style: some elements of the façade are similar to those of the Basilica and Palazzo Di Gregorio in via Dante.
- 20 Villa Luisa, Via Rossotti (at about 200 m from Piazza Bagolino). Built in 1903, it is an elegant villa probably in Liberty style; it took the name of his owner’s wife, Stefano Chiarelli Peria. It is very similar to Villa Paino in Palermo, also belonging to the family Chiarelli Rossotti, and whose plan is assigned to the engineer Francesco Naselli of Ernesto Basile school.The mansion has been used as a dance hall and for wedding parties in the 1970s, then as a nursery school in the 1980s. Today, after the restoration made in 1980, it has become a refined household.
Museums
[edit]- 21 Monument to Cielo d'Alcamo (Villa Cassarà), Via Monte Bonifato,141 (turning right from Viale Europa, near the hillock)), ☏ +39 328 615 2700. Visits only for groups of people by appointment. Inside Mariano Cassarà's garden (a sculptor), now his heirs' property, you can see the monument (with a fountain) realized in 1990 for the Town of Alcamo and that, after various vicissitudes, postponements and missing payments by all the civic administrations, has remained in the ownership of the artist.
The work faithfully represents the scene of the famous love Contrasto "Rosa Fresca Aulentissima" written in 1240 by Cielo d'Alcamo, considered the first Italian poet who used the vernacular. The central body includes the two bronze statues representing the poet and his beloved; they are surrounded by an artistic marble fountain (travertine, completed with the insignia of Alcamo in the back part of the monument).
In the garden you can also admire other works realized by Mariano Cassarà. - 22 Sacred Art Museum, Corso 6 Aprile (inside Chiesa Madre (Basilica Maria SS. Assunta)), ☏ +39 0924 21578. M-F 09:30-12:45. The museum hosts a lot of paintings, sculptures and jewels coming from churches, dating back to the period from the 13th and 19th centuries, for a total of 150 works that are exhibited in an area of about 400 m2 (4,300 ft²). These works had been sheltered there after the 1968 Belice earthquake by monsignore Vincenzo Regina, archpriest from 1944 to 1991. €3, reduced €2.
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- 23 Museum of Multiethnic Musical Instruments "Fausto Cannone", Via Commendatore Navarra,75 (inside the Ex church of Saint James of the Sword, near the castle). Daily 16:30-19:30. There are 202 musical instruments: rebab, sarinda, gansira, swarpeti, bansuri, takita, marambao, vojnica, iakir and many others collected all over the world by the music teacher Fausto Cannone from Alcamo; there are instruments and sounds coming from different peoples: from Thailand to Tibet, from New Guinea to South America, from Polynesia to China, from Australia to Argentina, South Africa and various European countries. Free.
- 24 Museum of Contemporary Art (MACA), Piazza Ciullo (inside the ex Collegio dei Gesuiti), ☏ +39 0924 24592. 09:30-12:30, 16:30-19:30. The museum is divided into various sections: you can see the paintings of Turi Simeti, Vito Bongiorno, Gisella Giovenco, the plaster casts of Nicola Rubino and other works. free entrance.
- 25 Regional Vinotek of Western Sicily (Enoteca Regionale) (at 300 metres from Piazza Ciullo), [email protected].
Natural areas
[edit]- 26 The Nature Oriented Reserve, Via per Monte Bonifato, ☏ +39 0924 202626, [email protected]. 09:00-13:00, 15:00-18:00. A protected area on Mount Bonifato with remarkable natural, historical, archeological and geological interest. Inside it there are the ruins of an ancient hamlet (among which are "Funtanazza" and "Porta Regina"), the remains of the Castle of the Ventimiglia and the Sanctuary of the Most Holy Mary from the Heights (Santuario della Madonna dell'Alto). You can also use a picnic area near the “Funtanazza”. They carry out several and different activities in the reserve such as Nordic walking, mountain biking, trekking, birdwatching, and creative and didactic research.
- 27 Parco Suburbano San Francesco, Piazza Bagolino (below the Belvedere), ☏ +39 320 8598098, [email protected]. 09:30-13:00, 15:30-18:30. The park is managed by the Association "Laurus" of Alcamo. Thanks to its volunteers, this green lung with hundreds of plants of the Mediterranean flora, gives the chance to children and adults to relax in the middle of its green. Inside there are a children's playground and a small zoo farm. free.
- 28 Geosite Travertino della Cava Cappuccini, Piazza Padre Pio (next to the Church of Saint Anne). In the Geosite, dating back to Pleistocene, they discovered the fossilized shell of a tortoise, Geochelone sp, the skeleton of a dwarf elephant, dating back to 260,000 years ago, and some specimens of the giant edible dormouse, red deer and wild boar, kept at the Civic Museum Torre di Ligny of Trapani .
- 29 Roman furnaces, Contrada Foggia-Magazzinazzi (Alcamo Marina) (SP 47, 300 m before the SS 187). The site is about 2,500 square metres wide; in 2000 they discovered three furnaces, built between the 1st century AD and the second half of the 5th century AD. THey have a circular shape, with a diameter of about 3 m and with an unusual state of preservation. At the moment it cannot be visited.
- 30 Archeological Site of Mount Bonifato (or Longuro), on Mount Bonifato (50 m from the path leading to the Sanctuary of the Most Holy Mary of the Height). Founded by a colony of Greeks escaped from Troy, and probably inhabited from the 7th century BC until the 12th century AD, it was discovered in the second half of the 16th century. They found lanterns and stamps of bricks dating back to the Roman age, some tomb caves, several ceramic and bronze fragments.
Churches
[edit]- 31 Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta (Chiesa Madre), Piazza IV Novembre, 2 (100 m from Piazza Ciullo), ☏ +39 0924 21578, [email protected]. 08:30 – 12:30, 16:00 – 19:00. Realized during the 14th century and rebuilt in 1669; the portal and the bell tower are the only remains from the original church of the 14th century. I t is located in the centre of the town, near piazza Ciullo. The interior contains frescoes by Guglielmo Borremans. In the apse and in the side chapels there are works by Antonello Gagini, free.
- 32 Church of Saint Francis of Assisi (Chiesa di San Francesco d'Assis), Corso 6 Aprile, 2 (50 m from Piazza Bagolino), ☏ +39 0924 22397. It was built between the years 1224-1226, demolished and rebuilt between 1608-1648. Inside it there are a marble ancon, probably by Domenico Gagini, and two sculptures reproducing the Maddalena and Saint Mark, both ascribed to Antonello Gagini.
- 33 Church of the College of Jesuits (Chiesa del Collegio dei Gesuiti), Piazza Ciullo. It was built between 1684-1767.
- 34 Church of Saint Olivia (Chiesa di Sant'Oliva), Piazza Ciullo. It was built in 1533 and renovated in 1724. Inside there are a picture by Pietro Novelli on the main altar ("Sacrificio della Messa" dated 1639) and works by the Gagini.
- 35 Church of Saints Paul and Bartholomew (Chiesa dei Santissimi Paolo e Bartolomeo), Corso VI Aprile, 183 (300 m from Piazza Ciullo). Built between 1615 and 1689: it has got characteristic baroque features and holds a very ancient and valuable picture, the Madonna del Miele (made about the year 1300).
- 36 Church of Saint Mary of Jesus (Chiesa di Santa Maria di Gesù), Piano Santa Maria, 28 (300 m from Piazza della Repubblica). Built in the 15th century and enlarged in 1762. It holds the body of Beato Arcangelo Piacentini from Calatafimi.
- 37 Sanctuary of Madonna of Miracles (Santuario di Maria Santissima dei Miracoli), Via Massimiliano Kolbe (500 m from Piazza Bagolino). The sanctuary, dedicated to the patroness of Alcamo, was built in 1547 by order of the governor and captain of justice Fernando Vega, and following the discovery of an icon of Madonna of Miracles in a small chapel which had been abandoned. Afterwards the sanctuary was modified several times, with a restoration in the first years of the 18th century.
- 38 Church of Saint Thomas (Chiesa di San Tommaso), Corso VI Aprile, 31 (200 m from Piazza Bagolino). The date of its construction is uncertain, probably the first half of the 15th century. It is faced by a great portal with geometrical decorations.
- 39 The Convent of Saint Francis of Paola (Monastero di San Francesco di Paola or "Badia Nuova"), Via Commendatore Navarra (300 m from Piazza Bagolino). Not to be confused with the church of the same name, it was built in 1531, demolished in 1699 and rebuilt in the first half of the 18th century. There are a picture by Pietro Novelli and some allegorical representations by Giacomo Serpotta.
- 40 Saints Cosma and Damiano's Church (Chiesa dei Santi Cosma e Damiano or Santa Chiara), Corso 6 Aprile (200 m from Piazza Bagolino). Built in 1500 and rebuilt between 1721-1725.It has a baroque style and inside there are two sculptures by Serpotta.
- 41 Ex Church of the Annunciation (Chiesa dell'Annunziata o del Carmine), Piazza Libertà (next to the Police Station, 300 m from Piazza Bagolino). Built in the 14th century, in 16th and 17th centuries it was rebuilt in the Catalan Gothic style, but collapsed in 1866. Today, only some chapels and columns remain.
- 42 Church of Saint Francis of Paola (Chiesa di San Francesco di Paola), Via Francesco Crispi (next to the Hospital). The church was built in 1550, with one nave and has five altars. The façade, dated 1695, has a convex form, a typical characteristic of Rococo style. in 1750 it was embellished with stuccoes by Nicolò Curti. On the high altar there is the Crucifix, a wooden sculpture made by Francesco Marino from Trapani in the 19th century.
- 43 Church of Saint Anne (Chiesa di Sant'Anna), Piazza Padre Pio. The church was built between 1630 and 1634, and the Capuchine friary between 1633 and 1636. In 1866 the friary was abolished. The church has a single nave, a baptistry and seven chapels, embellished by frescoes by Leonardo Mirabile and Giovanni Dato. The frescoes on the nave and the vault are by Eugenio Ligotti and Salvatore Gagliano from Palermo. There are several paintings by Fra Felice da Sambuca.
- 44 Church of the Guardian Angel or Sheltered People (Chiesa del S.Angelo Custode or Chiesa delle Riparate), Corso 6 Aprile (100 m from the Basilica). The church is with one nave and was built in 1659 in Baroque style, with the adjoining "Convent boarding school for sheltered women", built in 1684. It was enlarged and embellished in the 18th century by the architect Giovanni Biagio Amico, and restored again in the 19th century.
- 45 The Holy Trinity's Church (Chiesa della Santissima Trinità), Piazza Trinità (200 m from Piazza Ciullo). The present church was buikt between 1746 and 1757, in substitution of an older one: it was consecrated in 1757. In 1771 it was embellished with stuccoes; it has one nave, three altars and a small chapel.
- 46 Church of the Holy Souls in Purgatory (Chiesa delle Anime Sante del Purgatorio), Via Anime Sante (100 m from Porta Trapani). Built in 1813, demolished and rebuilt in 1958. It has one nave: inside it there was a painting, dating back to 1854 and later missing, made by Raffaele Genovese from Palermo, representing the Holy Souls of Purgatory with Our Lady of Miracles above them, Saint Rocco and Saint Sebastian at the two sides.
- 47 The Holy Heart's Church (Chiesa del Sacro Cuore), Viale Europa, opposite Bis Bar (opposite the Bis Bar). The real construction of this church started in 1982, it was completed in 1991 and consecrated in 1993. It has a single nave with a semicircular apse; the vault has the shape of an overturned boat. There are some mosaics and colorful stained glass windows.
- 48 Church of Jesus Christ the Redeemer (Chiesa di Gesù Cristo Redentore), Via Kennedy, 128, ☏ +39 0924 514842, +39 0924 082438. Built in 2006. It is the most recent church in Alcamo; there are three original works realized by the sculptor Massimiliano Apicella: Jesus Christ the Redeemer, the altar made with Carrara white marble and the red marble ambo.
- 49 Ex College of Jesuits (ex Collegio dei Gesuiti), Piazza Ciullo. Built in the 17th century, in the 18th century they added an arcade. Inside the oratory, there are some 18th-century frescoes by Domenico La Bruna. Today it is the seat of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Alcamo (MACA) and of the Civic Library.
- 50 Church of the Holy Family. (Chiesa della Sacra Famiglia), Piazza Ciullo (next to the ex College of Jesuits). The church has a single navy with three altars: the high altar (in white marble and adorned by red stucco columns) and two side altars, in polychromatic marble, realized and inaugurated in 1937. Until 1952 on the high altar there was a painting made by Giuseppe Renda, now in the sacristy, substituted by a wooden statue of the Holy Family, realized by the firm Luigi Santifaller.
- 51 Church of Saint Joseph the Worker (Chiesa di San Giuseppe Lavoratore), Via Monte Bonifato (200 m from Piazza Pittore Renda). Built in 1947, it has one nave with a barrel lowered vault; the church has an elegant façade, in the neo-Romanesque style, with a rose window in the middle and a portal below it.
Do
[edit]- Associazione Culturale Musikè, Via Mariano De Ballis, 25 (opposite the Central Post Office), ☏ +39 3328 285 0926, [email protected]. Exhibitions, concerts, courses of music and singing; they also organize dinners and guided visits to the Palazzo de Ballis and its tower.
- Associazione Laurus cultura ambiente, Via per Monte Bonifato, 102, ☏ +39 3208598098, [email protected]. Guided tours by bike, on foot, trekking: Castle of Calatubo, Mount Bonifato, Alcamo Town Centre.
- 1 Centro Congressi Marconi, Corso 6 Aprile, 119 (100 m from Piazza Ciullo), ☏ +39 0924 21920. Classical music concerts, meetings and exhibitions.
- 2 Centro Ippico Lo Sperone, Contrada Sasi, ☏ +39 0924 26638. Restaurant and riding school. free entrance.
- 3 Cinema Esperia, Corso 6 Aprile, 19 (50 m from Piazza Bagolino), ☏ +39 0924 21766, [email protected]. There is a hall with comfortable seats on two levels (the stalls on the ground floor and the balcony on the first floor).
- 4 Cittadella dei Giovani and Anfiteatro Orto di Ballo, Via Ugo Foscolo (next to Chiesa di S. Anna Cappuccini). M-F 16:00-20:00; Sa 09:00-13,00 and 16:00-21:00.
- 5 Civic Library "Bagolino", Piazza Ciullo (inside Collegio dei Gesuiti), ☏ +39 0924 590287, [email protected]. M-Sa 08:30-13:30 and 15:30-20:00. There are about 81,000 books and important old documents on art, tradition, craftmanship and religiosity of people in Alcamo. Some books come from ex convents and friaries and from the section of the History of Alcamo's territory. Inside it there is also the Multimedia Library with a lot of newspapers, film and music collections. You can also use the Internet for free. You can consult its OPAC.
- 6 La Fenice, Via San Leonardo, 13 (100 m from Piazza Falcone e Borsellino), ☏ +39 0924 505911, fax: +39 0924 504147, [email protected]. Swimming pool, acquatic park, gym club.
- 7 Opera dei Pupi (Gaspare Canino), Castello dei Conti di Modica, ☏ +39 349 106 2418. Possibility of visiting the theatre of puppets and seeing some of them, working tools and posters. The shows are given in some periods of the year and they give notice.
- 8 Rush Speed Arena, SS 113 km 323, Contrada Molinello (3 km from Alcamo, on the road for Partìnico), ☏ +39 327 578 4618, [email protected]. W-Th 17:00-midnight, Fr e Sa 17:00-01:30, Su 16:00 – midnight. Multilevel indoor track for electric karts. The track is 564 m long, 7 m wide with straightway and large bends. Takeaway food. Outdoor seats. €16-18.
- 9 Stadio Comunale Lelio Catella, SP47 Provincial Road (at about 1.6 km away). Football ground, tennis court and athletics track. free entrance.
- 10 Starplace Multisala (Multiplex Cinema), Via San Gaetano, 22 (SP55 Alcamo-Alcamo Marina, opposite Alcamo Est junction). 18:30, 20:30, 22:30. Multiplex cinema, convention center, cultural center.
- 11 Teatro Comunale Cielo d'Alcamo (Civic Theatre), Piazza Castello (opposite the Castle), ☏ +39 0924 500139. There is a hall with comfortable seats on two levels (the stalls on the ground floor and the balcony on the first floor).
- 12 Terme Gorga, Alcamo Diramazione (near A29 Motorway junction Alcamo Ovest), ☏ +39 0924 23842, [email protected]. Its sulphuric thermal waters are used to treat respiratory, rheumatic and skin diseases.
- 13 Whisky a Gogò, Via Pietro Galati, 41/A (100 m from Viale Europa), ☏ +39 0924 1861542, +39 342 6130928, [email protected]. Classical dance, hip pop, break dance, Caribbean dance.
Festivals
[edit]
- 14 Saint Joseph, Saint Olivia's church (Piazza Ciullo). 19 March. Celebration in honour of this Saint with novena and procession.
- 15 Passion of Christ (Via Crucis), Piazza della Repubblica (accanto al Castello dei Conti di Modica). w:Palm Sunday. The pageant of Via Crucis, formed by 143 characters in historical costume, leaves at 16:00 from the Church of Saint Anne, then in Piazza della Repubblica there is the representation of the Last Supper, the process, the flagellation, etc. The pageant moves along Corso VI Aprile and Viale Italia, and stops at about 21:00 at Piazza Caduti di Nassiriya; here they represent the Crucifixion and Resurrection. This event is organized by the Pro Loco Città di Alcamo in collaboration with the Assessorato for Culture of the Comune.
- 16 Good Friday. Procession of the Dead Jesus and Our Lady of Sorrows.
- 17 Gesù Cristo Redentore Feast. On the first Sunday after Easter they organize different cultural and religious events in honour of the Divine Mercy.
- 18 San Francis from Paola, Via Crispi. Second Sunday after Easter (cultural and religious events).
- 19 Feast of Patrocinio, Piazza Ciullo. Third Sunday after Easter. In honour of the Holy Family (procession and lunch with the living Holy Family).
- 20 Saint Joseph the Worker. 1st May. Celebration in honour of Saint Joseph the Worker with a novena and procession.
- 21 Saint Anthony of Padua. (13th June). Celebration in honour of him (novena and procession)
- 22 Maria Santissima dei Miracoli. 19-21 June. Celebrations in honour of the patroness saint of Alcamo: cultural and religious events. During the feast there are a solemn procession of Madonna’s simulacrum, fireworks from the "bastione" in Piazza Bagolino, and the descent of civil and political authorities to the sanctuary of Madonna dei Miracoli. Until the early 21st century, there were horse races along Corso 6 Aprile; the last two times they took place in Viale Italia.
- 23 Saint Ann's Feast, Piazza Padre Pio (below the Hospital). 26 July. Novena, procession and cultural, recreative and religious activities.
- 24 Maria Santissima Assunta (Stella Maris), Alcamo Marina. 14 and 15 August: celebrations and procession on the beach.
- 25 Madonna dell'Alto. 8 September. Celebrations on the top of Mount Bonifato (dialect poems recitation and procession).
- 26 the Immaculate Conception. 7-8 December. Celebration in honour of Immacolata Concezione with a novena, pastoral melodies and procession.
- Alcamo Christmas. Concerts, outdoor performances, preparation of traditional Christmas cribs and pipers' passing.
- Alcamo Estate (Alcamo Summer). Sagre, "Calici di Stelle", "Blues Festival", "Festival of Nuove Impressioni"
- 27 Alcart: legality and culture, Parco Suburbano San Francesco (Piazza Bagolino). Second half of August. Concerts, book presentations and photo exhibitions.
- 28 Cortiamo, Chiesa of Santi Paolo and Bartolomeo (Corso 6 Aprile). Second or third weekend of December. Short Film International Contest.
- Costa Gaia International Trophy. 2-6 January. International football tournament for the young.
- 29 Alcamo Carnival, Piazza della Repubblica (100 metres from the Castle). This event takes place on Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday of Carnival. The carts parade in this large square, and there's also music, dancers, masks and street food.
Buy
[edit]
- 1 Adragna il Caseificio (Cheese and other Sicilian food), Via Pietro Lombardo, 11, ☏ +39 0924 24130, +39 0924 510956.
- 2 Bontà rossa di Sicilia, Via Pietro Montana 4 (Provincial Road (S.P.) 10 to Camporeale at km 6, opposite Cantina Paladino), ☏ +39 334 8030135, +39 331 457 4911, [email protected]. Biological production of pomegranates (juice and fruit).
- 3 Bottega del Cioccolato, Corso VI Aprile, 205 (100 m past Chiesa di San Paolo e Bartolomeo, at the corner of Via Crispi), ☏ +39 392 060 7376, +39 338 108 7851, [email protected]. Chocolate maker: using of cocoa coming from Ecuador, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Venezuela; production of chocolate bars (milk or dark), pralines, cakes and single portion sweets.
- 4 Ceramiche Artistiche Ferrarella, Via Vittorio Veneto, 74, ☏ +39 0924 24086. Ceramics
- 5 Delizie, Via Kennedy, 13, ☏ +39 0924 508508, [email protected]. closed on Sunday. Delicatessen, local cheeses, takeaway gastronomy and butcher's shop.
- 6 Farmer's Market, Piazza Bagolino. on Friday morning. There are a lot of farm products: fruit and vegetables.
- 7 Ficodindidia Ceramiche, Via Mazzini,19 (a 100 metres from Piazza Ciullo), ☏ +39 328 859 7165. Handicraft laboratory of Sicilian ceramics and sale of articles made with ceramics.
- 8 Galleria del Corso, Corso 6 Aprile, 40. There are some shops selling clothes, shoes and sport items.
- 9 La Baronessina Ceramiche (Artistic Ceramics), Corso 6 Aprile,59-61 (100 metres from the Duomo), ☏ +39 333 9480 746. Artisan's laboratory and sale of local artistic ceramics.
- 10 Mercato Rionale, Via Tre Santi (100 m from Viale Italia). Wednesday morning. You can find clothes, shoes, fruit, vegetables, fish and cheese.
- 11 Vini Manfre' Enoteca, Via Maria Riposo, 43, ☏ +39 0924 26596. They sell different types of wine and liquors.
Eat
[edit]Budget
[edit]Most part of them serve pizza only in the evening: they sell it by the slice. You can have it on the spot or take away. It is a cheap way of having dinner.
- 1 L'Arcova, Piazza Mercato (below Piazza Ciullo), ☏ +39 0924 22670. Pizzas by slices. Very frequented especially at night by teenagers, attracted by the smell of just-cooked pizza. There are outdoor tables.
- 2 Bar Grazia, Corso 6 Aprile, 330, ☏ +39 0924 21232. Very famous for its snacks, especially arancini (filled with minced meat or ham). They also make very good sweets such as sfince di San Giuseppe (Saint Joseph’s fried sweets with ricotta inside).
- 3 Bar La Preferita, Via John Kennedy, 71, ☏ +39 0924 502774. Good pastry. Its cassatelle with ricotta are excellent!
- 4 Bar '900, Corso VI Aprile, 105 (50 metres from Piazza Ciullo), ☏ +39 0924 21505, [email protected]. closed on Tuesday. Famous for the high quality of its sweets, snacks and ice creams (among which the hazelnut ice cream, fried iris and ricotta bocconcini stand out). On the first floor there are tables and a terrace with tables and large sunshades; from here you can appreciate a beautiful view of Corso 6 Aprile.
- 5 Bis Bar, Viale Europa, 167 (at the corner with Via Vittotio Veneto), ☏ +39 0924 24525. Very appreciated for its sweets production, snacks and ice creams. The interior is very cosy and has comfortable seats and large glass walls. Very good if you want to spend a relaxing evening with your friends.
- 6 Cafè Termine (maestri pasticcieri), Viale Italia,48, ☏ +39 0924 22900, [email protected]. Bar, pastries, ice-creams, snack-bar.
- 7 Caffè Nannini, Piazza Bagolino, 30, ☏ +39 0924 040689. M-Sa, closed on Sunday. Bar-pizzeria-snack bar. Located inside a charming garden, there are often outdoor events (such as karaoke and musical performances). It is for people who like outdoor evenings together with friends.
- 8 Dolce e Gustoso, Via Salvo D'Acquisto,24 (100 metres from the weekly market site), ☏ +39 0924 1915420, +39 347 2620197, [email protected]. Self-service, pizzeria, snack bar, coffee bar, sweets. Dinners for any occasions. €12.
- 9 Locanda dei Matti, Piazza della Repubblica, 65, ☏ +39 333 233 2122, +39 391 419 6273. 19:00-24:00. Appetizers, brasserie, restaurant. Open during summer. €25.
- 10 Madre Pizza, Viale Europa, 46, ☏ +39 0924 201543. There are very different types of pizza by the slice, made with mother yeast (lievito madre).
- 11 Mondo Pizza, Via Florio, 19, ☏ +39 0924 509111. Here you can taste pizzas by the slice, calzoni, sandwiches and snacks. You can also buy "pizza al metro" if you are not satisfied with some centimetres of pizza.
- 12 Pollo taxi, Viale Europa, 234, ☏ +39 0924 501566. Roast and fried food.
- 13 Salato Polli (Salato Gastronomia), Piazza della Repubblica, 80 and Via Sant'Ippolito,1 (right turn off Corso dei Mille), ☏ +39 0924 21706, +39 0924 21871, +39 334 6014887. They make grilled chicken and gastronomy. Try the chicken with salmorigano (a special sauce with olive oil, garlic, oregano and lemon juice) with fried or roast potatoes. Simple and tasteful!
Mid-range
[edit]- 14 Cibus Ristorante Self-service, Corso Generale Medici, 15, ☏ +39 0924 23170, +39 339 1882268.
- 15 Il Gattopardo, Via 11 Febbraio, 1 (100 metres from Piazza Ciullo), ☏ +39 0924 24498, +39 33 981 09820, [email protected]. Tu-Su, only in the evening. Restaurant and pizzeria in the town centre, very near the Chiesa Madre and 18th century Palazzo Fraccia in a characteristic paved street. Its pizzas are cooked in a wood-burning oven.
- 16 La Faranna, Strada Statale 113, km 322 (Alcamo-Partinico), ☏ +39 0924 506603, +39 338 1023622. Restaurant and pizzeria. On Saturday night you can dance here for free!
- 17 La Giara Ristorante Pizzeria, Corso dei Mille, 105, ☏ +39 0924 507979. 12:00-15:00, 19:00-23:30, closed on Tuesday.
- 18 Lo Sperone, Contrada Sasi (or Valle Nuccio), ☏ +39 0924 26638, +39 334 8982818, [email protected]. Restaurant and riding school.
- 19 Salsapariglia Ristorante Pizzeria, Via Libertà, 1 (Behind Chiesa Madre), ☏ +39 0924 508302. Open only for dinner, closed on Mondays.
- 20 Via Vivaldi, Via Antonio Vivaldi, 21 (100 metres from Srada Statale 113, under Piazza Falcone e Borsellino), ☏ +39 0924 040764, +39 3288442052. Restaurant and pizzeria. There is a children's area where they can play.
Splurge
[edit]- 21 Hotel Centrale, Via G. Amendola, 24 (200 metres from Piazza Ciullo), ☏ +39 0924 507845, [email protected]. Daily fixed menu or a particular one with meat or fish. Typical dishes prepared on request. €25/30.
Drink
[edit]Pubs and clubs
[edit]- 1 Alter Ego, Via Tenente Pietro de Blasi, 2 (opposite the Castle of the Counts of Modica), ☏ +39 339 784 8553, +39 388 160 5731.
- 2 Graal Wine Bar, Piazza della Repubblica,71, ☏ +39 3297993538. Tu-Su 18:30-24:00.
- 3 Habituè drink & bistrot, Corso VI Aprile, 93 (at the corner with Piazza Ciullo), ☏ +39 389 505 3285.
- 4 Old Street, Via Barone San Giuseppe, 20-22 (200 metres from the Castle of the Counts of Modica), ☏ +39 333 725 1995, +39 09 2453 4759, [email protected]. Tu-Su 18:00-3:00. GastroPub and Wine Bar. The place, in Mediterranean style, has several rooms and a fine courtyard in the middle. The menu is diversified and there are excellent wines and cocktails. The waiters are kind and quite fast. Free W-Fi, tables outdoor, booking not compulsory.
- 5 45 giri, Piazza Ciullo, ☏ +39 380 781 8639. Bar, risto-pub.
Sleep
[edit]Budget
[edit]- 1 Affittacamere Windsurf, Zona Aleccia (Contrada Calatubo) Alcamo Marina (on the main road for Balestrate, at 30 metres from the beach), ☏ +39 0924 597900, [email protected]. There are flats and rooms air conditioned and a free private beach. The rooms have internal bathrooms, kitchen and TV, some have a balcony. It is 10 minutes' travel by car from Balestrate or Castellammare, and 20 minutes from the Nature Reserve "Lo Zingaro". €280-550 per week.
- 2 Agriturismo Tarantola, Contrada Tarantola - Alcamo (halfway between Alcamo and Camporeale), ☏ +39 329 2713073, +39 347 3396 481, [email protected]. €40.
- 3 B & B Costapicca, C.da Costa, 37 (on the National Road 119 for Gallitello), ☏ +39 333 8474825, +39 339 2699039, [email protected]. At the foot of Mount Bonifato, the B&B Costapicca has a garden and offers free Wi-Fi connection. The rooms are air conditioned, with central heating, TV and a bathroom with a shower. A buffet continental breakfast, including hot coffee or cappuccino, sweets and other food will be served every morning. €34.
- 4 B & B Rahal, Via Marco Polo (100 metres from the Hospital), ☏ +39 333 1813 479, +39 334 3008 334, [email protected]. The flats of B&B Rahal include air conditioning, kitchen, dining room, bathroom with a shower, Breakfast is based on coffee, croissants and biscuits. The structure is at about 8 km from the beaches of Alcamo Marina and Castellammare del Golfo, 40 km from Palermo Airport and 50 km from Trapani Birgi. €35-59.
- 5 Casaulente (Flats, rooms, holiday houses), Via Discesa Santuario, 44 (200 metres from Piazza Ciullo), ☏ +39 338 6067197, [email protected]. Its flats are air-conditioned and have an independent kitchen and a living area with sofa and TV. The private bathroom has a hairdryer and the car-park is free. The bed and breakfast is 500 m away from the Castle and about 50 km from Palermo and Trapani airports. €35.
- 6 Residence Ideal, Via Ludovico Ariosto, 20 (100 metres from Chiesa of Saint Paolo and Bartolomeo), ☏ +39 0924 24429, +39 329 1335 676, +39 328 8782 832, [email protected]. At the Residence Ideal in the town centre in Alcamo, the rooms are air conditioned, with free Wi-Fi and TV. The flats include a sitting room area with sofas and TV, Kitchen with an oven and a bathroom with as hower and a bidet. in some of them there is a terrace with an outdoor furnishings. €40.
Mid-range
[edit]- 7 Affittacamere Francesca, Contrada Magazzinazzi,165 (at Alcamo Marina, about 1 km from the railway station of Castellammare del Golfo, 6 km from Alcamo), ☏ +39 0924 597739, [email protected]. It has a free car park. All rooms have conditioned air, Wi-Fi, TV and private bathroom. At dinner you can have Sicilian home-made specialities. €56.
- 8 Agriturismo Fattoria Manostalla (Villa Chiarelli), Contrada Manostalla, Balestrate (near the Castle of Calatubo), ☏ +30 091 8787033, [email protected]. The farm is an ancient baglio of the 19th century, belonging to Jesuits and used for praying. It is located in one of the most characteristic landscapes of rural Sicily, near the Castle of Calatubo. Its restaurant suggests typical products such as: olive oil, milk, cheese, ricotta, vegetables and milk, sheepmeat, beef and veal used to prepare old recipes and dishes.
- 9 Angimbè Relais Hotel, A29 Motorway Alcamo Ovest Junction S.S. 113 km 338.4 (on the SS 113, between Alcamo and Calatafimi-Segesta), ☏ +39 0924 0924 38156, +39 328 7043347, [email protected]. It is an old baglio that has been restored. The rooms are air conditioned and have Wi-Fi, TV, Sky channels and a private bathroom. In the morning, it offers a rich breakfast and at dinner you can taste some typical Sicilian food at the restaurant. There is an outdoor swimming pool you can use in summer and a free car park. Double room €60-75.
- 10 Baglio della Luna, Strada Statale 113 km.318,200 (Opposite Borgo degli Angeli, in contrada Bosco Falconeria-Partinico), ☏ +39 091 8789106, +39 345 0736 557, + 39 320 6654 196, + 39 329 2249 129, [email protected]. An old baglio with rooms that are all elegantly furnished and in a different way.
- 11 Baglio Fastuchera, SS 119, turn at km 5, ☏ +39 338 8316832, +39 334 3356060, [email protected]. Baglio Fastuchera is on an old farm on the S.S. 119 (National Road 119) Alcamo-Gibellina. The rooms are furnished in a simple way and air conditioned, with TV and private bathroom with a hairdryer. At the restaurant they serve Sicilian dishes and a good breakfast. €70.
- 12 Enny Camere, Via San Gaetano, 16 (SP55 for Alcamo Marina) (Opposite the A29 Alcamo Est Junction), ☏ +39 0924 21942, [email protected]. €69-89.
- 13 Grand Hotel La Batia, Via Porta Palermo,106 (100 metres from the S.S.113 Junction for Partinico), ☏ +39 0924 514160, +39 0924 25554. It's in the outskirts of Alcamo and was a convent restored some years ago. The exclusive rooms are furnished with free Wi-Fi, TV and air conditioner. You can also choose Sicilian specialities and a continental breakfast. There are two outdoor swimming pools, a terrace, free outdoor parking and a garage. €80-160.
- 14 Hotel Centrale, Via Amendola,24 (200 metres from Piazza Ciullo), ☏ +39 0924 507845, [email protected]. It's near the town centre and the places of movida. It has large rooms air-conditioned with TV and free Wi-Fi connection. The buffet breakfast includes sweet or salted food and you can taste Sicilian dishes at dinner. The structure is about 6 km from Alcamo Marina and about 20 km from Scopello and Zingaro. €59-89.
- 15 La Battigia, Lungomare La Battigia - Alcamo Marina, ☏ +39 0924 597259, fax: +39 0924 598804, [email protected]. It's in the middle of Alcamo Marina's beach, and has a wonderful view of the Gulf of Castellammare. It lodged the actors Brad Pitt and Catherine Zeta-Jones during the shooting of Ocean's Twelve, filmed in 2004 near Castellammare del Golfo. It has a swimming pool and private beach. In the menu there are fresh fish and local meat.There is also a large selection of typical sweets and wines. It's a 4-star hotel. €60-100.
- 16 Villa Maruggi, Via per Camporeale, 140. It is at the foot of Mount Bonifato and is surrounded by a garden with very old trees. From its large terrace you can admire the Gulf of Castellammare. There are a living room, a kitchen, bathroom and a veranda on the ground floor. On the first floor there are: 3 double rooms, 1 single room and a bathroom. The house is furnished with conditioned air, oven, refrigerator, TV and ironing set; outside there are tables, chairs and a barbecue. The area is very tranquil and near Viale Europa (at 700 m distance) and to shops, bars and chemist. €80-140.
- 17 Villa Vaiasuso, Via Gammara. Check-in: 08:00-20:00, check-out: 10:00-12:00. The rooms are in a house with a garden, at a about 7 km from the beach and 3 km from Alcamo. There are a terrace, shared kitchen and bathrooms, a barbecue, a free car park. Breakfast included in the price. No animals allowed. €80 (5 people).
Splurge
[edit]- Villa 2 Pini, SS 119 Km 319, 700 (between Alcamo and Partinico). It's in Alcamo, and has an outdoor pool. This self-catering accommodation offers free Wifi, a patio and a seating area. There is also a kitchen with a dishwasher and a microwave oven. The bathrooms have a bath or a shower and a hairdryer. You can enjoy pool view and garden view. A barbecue and a free parking facilities are included. €240 (4 rooms for 8 people).
Stay safe
[edit]- 12 Police Station (Commissariato di Polizia), Via Libertà, 1 (300 metres from Piazza Bagolino), ☏ +39 0924 500311.
- 13 Carabinieri's Post, Piazza Garibaldi, 11, ☏ +39 0924 510746.
- 14 Hospital, Via Crispi, 116, ☏ +39 0924 599111, +39 0924 599250 (First Aid), fax: +39 0924 599261.
- 15 First-Aid Station (Guardia medica), Via Francesco Crispi (inside the Hospital), ☏ +39 0924 599202.
- Summer First-Aid Station (Guardia medica estiva), Alcamo Marina, ☏ +39 0924 597500.
Connect
[edit]- 16 Post Office (Poste Italiane), Piazza Giovanni XXIII, 1 (in Corso 6 Aprile, 200 metre from Piazza Ciullo), ☏ +39 0924 503578.
- 17 Post Office (Poste Italiane), Via John Kennedy, 6 (300 metres from Viale Italia), ☏ +39 0924 24575.
- 18 Post Office (Poste Italiane), Corso Generale Medici, 1 (300 metres from Porta Trapani), ☏ +39 0924 23203.
- 19 Posta Centrale (Private Post Office), Via Pietro Maria Rocca, 68 (100 metres far from Piazza Pittore Renda), ☏ +39 0924 511365, [email protected]. Services: mails, registered letters, deliveries, telegrams, faxes, payments, money transfer, etc.
Internet
[edit]- 20 Breaking Bet, Piazza Bagolino, 18. Every day 09:00-21:00. Inside there is an automatic dispenser of soft and hot drinks. €0.50 per hour.
- 21 Internet Point Lupin, Corso San Francesco di Paola,48 (300 metres from the Hospital), ☏ +39 0924 21383. €2 per hour, €6 all day..
There is a free Wi-Fi service in Piazza Ciullo, Piazza Mercato and Piazza della Repubblica.
Go next
[edit]
- Alcamo Marina is a seaside resort very crowded during summer thanks to its wonderful sandy beach. It’s better you go there in the morning or in the afternoon. In the evening you can have dinner in one of its very appreciated pizzerias.
- Balestrate: in the main square there are frequent cultural and musical events. You can’t miss a walk along the near Via Madonna del Ponte, where there are often a lot of stands (“bancarelle”). In the same street you can also find very good bars, ice-cream parlours, pizzerias and restaurants with outdoor tables.
- Castellammare del Golfo: here you have to visit the beach (with several lidos which are also open in the evening), the seaport dominated by the big Castle at sea (Castello a mare) and its outskirts with a lot of pizzerias, restaurants and pubs.
- Scopello: you can admire its Baglio (inner courtyard inside a farm) and the near Tonnara (the place where tunas were caught).
- The Oriented Nature Reserve at Zingaro (near Scopello): if you love trekking, nature and uncontaminated beaches you must go there. The reserve houses vegetal and animal species that are typical of the Mediterranean macchia such as the palmet. Inside there is a characteristic cave where hundreds of bats nidify.
- San Vito Lo Capo: very famous for its long beaches and sea, with crystal clear water. There are lots of restaurants and hotels near the sea-shore and you can also hire bikes to move easily along the coastline.
- Terrasini: you have to visit Piazza Duomo, very crowded with tourists, and its beach surrounded by a very attractive background . In the nearby streets, full of people even in the first night hours, there are a lot of places where you can taste the local specialities, particularly in pizzerias, restaurants, bars and ice cream parlours.