Sperlinga, the castle carved from the rock that Sicily forgets

In the Sicilian interior, between the province of Enna and the peaks of the Nebrodi, Sperlinga seems to rise straight out of the rock. The village huddles around a rocky spur crowned by a cave castle, part built and part simply hollowed out of the sandstone. To walk here is to move through spaces carved from the living rock: rooms, cisterns, stables and tunnels that open into the belly of the hill like a silent labyrinth.

The cave castle

The castle owes part of its fame to an episode of the Sicilian Vespers: according to tradition, while the island rose up against the Angevins in 1282, a French garrison took refuge here, leaving behind a Latin inscription still quoted today. Setting the legendary details aside, what remains is the very real charm of a place that has passed through the centuries while staying off the beaten track, far from the crowded routes leading to Taormina, Syracuse or the Valley of the Temples. There are no queues here, no fought-over tickets: often you feel you have the whole village to yourself.

The dwelling caves

Below the castle, the town preserves a network of dwelling caves used until the last century, testimony to a cave-dwelling way of life that speaks of the poor, ingenious Sicily of the interior. It is worth losing yourself among the alleys, exchanging a few words with those who still live here, and tasting the local cuisine of Nebrodi cheeses, bread and unpretentious peasant dishes.

When to visit

The best time to visit Sperlinga is the shoulder season, when the climate is mild and the interior has not yet been emptied out by the summer heat. It is easily reached by car from Enna or Nicosia, and makes the ideal base for exploring a corner of Sicily that fortunately still resists overcrowding.

Related guides: Sicily off the beaten track: hidden villages and destinations far from the crowds · Little-known castles of Italy: forts and manors far from mass tourism · Beyond Taormina: seaside villages of eastern Sicily off the tourist trail.

How to get there

Sperlinga lies in the heart of Sicily, on the Nebrodi mountains in the province of Enna, near Nicosia: by car you arrive along the A19 Palermo-Catania motorway, exiting towards the interior in the direction of Nicosia, then continuing on the state roads up to the village, where there is a car park right below the castle. Bus connections with Enna and Palermo are provided by the SAIS company. The reference airports are Catania and Palermo, both about an hour and a half to two hours away by road.