Ficarra

Ficarra is a typical medieval village, which has a wonderful old town centre rich in narrow streets, ancient buildings and beautiful churches.

The first settlement of Ficarra was founded by Arabs, they named the village “Al Fakhar” which meant “glorious”. According to local legend its name also refers to the impressive amount of figs trees in the area; in fact “the Ficara” was a word in an ancient local dialect that meant “fig tree”. The village has also been ruled by some of the most important Sicilian aristocratic families such as the Scaletta, Lauria, Perucchio and Lancia.

The most important monuments of the village are the Convent of Cento Archi, the Mother Church of Annunziata which was built in the 15^th century and designed by Antonello Gagini, and a watchtower called the Fortress. The latter was built in the 16^th century, and has an amazing terrace with a breathtaking view of the Aeolian Islands. Today this ancient building hosts temporary exhibitions and cultural events.

There is also a selection of museums available to visit including the Sandstone Museum; Centro Lucio Piccolo di Calanovella, which holds a collection of documents, pictures and objects belonging to the famous Italian poet Lucio Piccolo who lived in the village until his death; the Silkworm house is a little museum which displays the history behind village’s production and distribution of precious silks in the 18^th century; and the Medieval Toy Museum, considered the most important medieval museum in Italy, displaying over 200 ancient toys and artefacts used by children in the Middle Ages.

People live here:

1.484

Typical food:

Cultivar “Minuta” Olive Oil

Rosolio, liquor

Pasti i Mennula

Nuciddi

Mennula nghiazzati

Biscotta Lievitati

Biscotta duri

Attractions:

Giro Gusto Sapori , food festival