Castelbuono is the main town of the Madonie, the range that rises behind the northern coast of Sicily, and it wears its history on its sleeve. A big square castle stands at the heart of the town, built in the fourteenth century by the Ventimiglia family, who were the powerful lords of this part of Sicily and ruled the surrounding country for generations. Inside the castle, a chapel dedicated to Sant'Anna, richly decorated with white stucco, holds a relic that is carried through the town in procession each year, and a small museum shows the story of the family and the region.
The town has a reputation for food as much as history. It is one of the few places in the world where manna is still harvested, a sweet sap tapped from the trunks of the flowering ash trees, which dries into white sticks used in confectionery and, traditionally, as a gentle remedy. It is a very old craft, handed down in families, and the town celebrates it in pastry and ice cream. The cakes and sweets of Castelbuono are sold in shops all along the main street, and it is hard to walk through the town without being tempted.
The Madonie are the high mountains of the region, with peaks of nearly two thousand metres and forests of oak, beech and holly. Much of the range is a regional park, protecting rare plants and wildlife, including golden eagles and wild cats. The roads climbing into the mountains from Castelbuono are some of the best riding in northern Sicily: narrow, twisting and quiet, with views of the coast far below. The surface is variable, with some very smooth stretches and others that are broken by frost and landslides, so look well ahead. In summer it is hot on the plain and pleasantly cool on the high ground.
Castelbuono has all the services you need. There are fuel stations on the approach roads, supermarkets, restaurants and cafes around the main square, and a few hotels and agriturismi in the surrounding countryside. A plate of pasta with local sausage and wild fennel, or a slice of sfincione, the thick Sicilian pizza, is a fine pause. The town is lively in the evening, with the local people out for a passeggiata, the traditional stroll before dinner.
Come in spring, when the hills are green and the wildflowers are out, or in autumn, when the beech woods turn gold and the air is fresh.