Sutera: Arab Alleys and White Houses Beneath the Rabato

In the interior of the province of Caltanissetta, where the hills grow harsh and the landscape empties of traffic and billboards, rises Sutera. The village huddles at the foot of Monte San Paolino, a limestone crag that dominates the valley and forms a natural backdrop to a cluster of stone houses. Here there are no queues at the bars or tourist shuttles: there is silence, the wind and a light that cuts across the white walls.

The Rabato

The most evocative heart is the Rabato, the old quarter that preserves its medieval origin in its very name (from the Arabic "rabad", the suburb outside the walls). Climbing through the paved alleys you encounter arches, steep staircases and hidden courtyards, where pots of geraniums and hanging washing tell of a still-authentic village life. The houses pressed one against another create a cool, shadowy labyrinth, made to be walked on foot, slowly, with no fixed destination.

The sanctuary

Those with the breath for it can climb all the way to the sanctuary at the top of the mountain: the effort is repaid by a panorama that sweeps over the Nissa hills and, on clear days, to the distant horizon. Down below, the village offers small churches, an intimate square and a few trattorias where you can taste the simple flavours of Sicilian country cooking, from the local bread to the cheeses of the area.

When to go

Sutera is a place that rewards those seeking authenticity rather than numbers. You can visit it in half a day, but it is worth stopping to chat with the inhabitants, always few and always welcoming. To avoid the intense heat of the inland summer and enjoy an even more intimate atmosphere, it is best to come in spring or early autumn, when the hills turn green or gold and the alleys stay all to yourself.

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Getting there

Sutera rises in the Sicilian interior, in the south-western part of the province of Caltanissetta: by car it is reached from the provincial capital in about forty minutes along the inland roads. The reference airports are those of Palermo and Catania, both a couple of hours' drive away via the A19 motorway and the inland provincial roads. The car remains the most convenient means to reach the village and the Arab quarter of the Rabato.