Gangi, the stone village hanging from the Madonie

There are villages you look at from below, and Gangi is one of them. Climbing along the roads of the Parco delle Madonie, you see it appear suddenly on the flank of Monte Marone: a cascade of honey-coloured houses that seem stacked one upon another, tiled roofs and alleys that climb all the way to the top. From afar it looks like a nativity scene; up close it is a maze of stone in which you happily lose yourself, far from the circuits of crowded tourism that fill the Sicilian coasts.

The historic centre

The heart of the town is walked on foot, and it is the only way possible. You climb narrow staircases between dark stone portals, emerge into small squares, and come across some elderly person sitting on their doorstep more often than you come across another traveller. The Ventimiglia Tower dominates the historic centre, and from the highest points your gaze runs over the mountains and, on clear days, all the way to Etna standing out on the horizon. There are no queues, no crowded ticket offices: only the sound of the wind and the bells.

Where to stop

Gangi rewards those who have time. It is worth stopping to sleep, eating in the trattorias where they still cook with the produce of the Madonie, buying bread and cheeses in the village shops rather than in the supermarkets down in the valley. It is a concrete way of supporting a mountain community that has chosen to stay, rather than empty out. From here trails set off toward the woods of the park, ideal for walks without the crowds.

Getting there

You arrive comfortably only by car, reckoning on the curves and hairpin bends that are part of the journey. Better to avoid the heart of summer, when the heat of the Sicilian interior grows intense: spring and autumn offer golden light, gentle temperatures and alleys all to yourself.

Related guides: Sicily off the beaten track: hidden villages and destinations far from the crowds · Hidden medieval villages in Italy: jewels far from the crowds · Where to go at Easter without the crowds: villages and weekends in Italy's lesser-known corners.

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