The Cuba of Santa Domenica: a thousand years of stone among the olive groves of the Alcantara

There are places that do not ask to be photographed. The Cuba of Santa Domenica, in the Santa Domenica district near Castiglione di Sicilia, is one of them. A low, compact building of grey stone, crowned by a dome, standing in the countryside that slopes down towards the Alcantara river. No ticket office, no queue, no intrusive fencing: only the wind among the olive trees and the slopes of Etna in the background.

The domed cuba

It is called a "cuba", from the Greek-Arabic word for a domed building, and it belongs to a small family of Sicilian chapels of the same type. Its dating is debated: long attributed to the Byzantines and to Basilian monasticism, today several scholars, observing the building technique, place it more probably between the 10th and 11th centuries, straddling Islamic and Norman rule. It has been a national monument since 1909, and yet it remains one of the least-visited testimonies of this part of Sicily.

The interior

The interior is bare. The frescoes that once decorated it have been lost, but there remain the Latin-cross plan, the pillars, the vaults and the apses facing east. The dome, built with stone blocks that support one another, is what strikes you most: a simple, stubborn solution that has survived centuries of abandonment and earthquakes. Inside, the light enters at a slant and the air smells of damp and ancient stone.

It is a discreet alternative to the Arab-Norman churches of Palermo and Monreale, besieged by visitors and by now written into every itinerary. Here, instead, you often arrive alone. It is easily reached from Castiglione di Sicilia, a hilltop village that is itself worth a stop, along country roads among hazelnut groves and the vineyards of Etna.

How to visit it

Visit it with respect: it is a fragile place and not always open, so it is worth asking in the village before going up. Leave your car without blocking the farmland, do not climb over anything, carry away your rubbish. Spring and autumn offer the best light and pleasant temperatures for walking in the surroundings.

Related guides: Sicily off the beaten track: hidden villages and destinations far from the crowds · Beyond Taormina: seaside villages of eastern Sicily off the tourist trail · Eastern Sicily by train: Catania, Syracuse and the Val di Noto without a car.

Getting there

The Cuba of Santa Domenica lies in the Alcantara valley, just outside Castiglione di Sicilia: it is reached by car following the provincial roads that connect Francavilla and Castiglione, with the turn-off clearly marked by "Cuba Bizantina" signs and a short stretch of country road up to the monument. The reference airport is Catania Fontanarossa. There are no convenient public connections to the site, so a car is effectively necessary.

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