Calascibetta

Situated south of the town of Cacchiamo, near Case Cocuzza and along the Lettiga stream, a group of four coral reefs lies directly atop the deformed quartz arenites of the Numidian Flysch and Tortonian clays.

Millions of years ago, an ancient ocean known as the Tethys Ocean covered much of our planet. During the Upper Tortonian and Lower Messinian periods – roughly 10 to 7 million years ago – this sea was home to an explosion of underwater life. It was during this time that coral reefs, much like those found in tropical seas today, began to colonise these ancient sea beds. However, reef development was selective: corals thrived in shallow waters where rivers and streams deposited sand and organic debris. It was as if they had discovered their perfect habitat at the margins of vast ‘mountains’ of sediment – formations that we now identify as the Terravecchia Formation. These resilient marine architects built their underwater cities where light and nutrients were abundant, forming a vibrant ecosystem that once teemed with life. In central Sicily, three bio-constructed nuclei – Mount Corvo, Rocca Limata, and Cacchiamo – mark key geological sites, with Cacchiamo being the easternmost. The Enna outcrop extends southwest of Cacchiamo to the Mount Sambuco anticline, along the banks of the Morello River, and includes the Case Cocuzza group. These bio-constructed sites lie on the northern flank of Cozzo Partesina and occupy the highest points of the Numidian Flysch’s structural highs, the uppermost part of a stratigraphic system that, during the Serravallian period, overlaid outer units composed of marl and glauconitic sandstone (greenish-coloured sedimentary rocks). The coral reefs of Case Cocuzza range in length from 5 to 100 metres and can reach a thickness of up to 23 metres. They are composed of specific coral types, notably Porites and Tarbellastraea colonies, and are covered by a layer of fine calcareous mud (micritic crusts), which has protected and cemented them over time.

South of Mount Altesinella, near Cozzo Sant’Agostino, lies a sequence of Triassic and Eocene sedimentary rocks reaching approximately 100 metres in thickness. Embedded within these layers is a striking green, compact diabase dyke – a dark volcanic rock formed by the cooling of magma. This dyke, measuring 2.5 metres thick and nearly vertical, still retains its original magnetisation. Its composition, similar to that of rocks found in Leonforte, suggests it formed in a submarine environment where the Earth’s crust was undergoing extension, a process typical of mid-ocean ridges or divergent plate boundaries. The surrounding sedimentary rocks are composed of fragmented materials cemented together by tectonic activity, alternating between marl and calcilutite rich in microscopic fossils. Occasionally, coarser limestone layers appear, likely redeposited by underwater currents. This stratigraphic ensemble belongs to the Mufara Formation, also known as the Carnic Flysch, a widespread unit in Sicily known for its Upper Triassic origins. Above the Triassic strata lies a highly deformed 20-metre-thick sequence composed of calcilutites with flint and pinkish-white marls from the Lower Eocene. This Triassic–Eocene succession is ‘embedded’ between two Numidian Flysch units. It developed along an ancient continental shelf that linked a deep marine basin to a carbonate platform (a shallow sea environment with coral reefs). The entire structure was later affected by significant southward displacement of rock blocks during the Middle Miocene, coinciding with the formation of the Maghreb chain, and experienced additional deformation in the Lower Pliocene. Diabase is a dark green, compact igneous rock typically found in veins, formed by the cooling of magma in shallow intrusive settings.

At kilometre 99.5 of the SS 121, just past the junction for Calascibetta, the Erbavuso district offers sweeping panoramic views stretching from Enna to Leonforte, Calascibetta, Mount Etna, and Lake Nicoletti. Amid this landscape stands a striking erratic boulder of Numidian Flysch from the Mount Salici Formation. With a rounded base and a diameter of approximately 50 metres, it rises from the Numidian clay, which is cultivated with broad beans. Atop the boulder rests a large, teardrop-shaped stone, about 1 metre high, chipped on one side. Along the slopes of Cozzo Rizzo, the quartz arenites of the Numidian Flysch are exposed in friable form, rather than their typical lithified state. A reddish crust, caused by the oxidation of ferrous elements, encases fine sand that is predominantly white or pale yellow, rich in rounded quartz grains, transparent or opaque, measuring up to a few centimetres. Scattered throughout are numerous iron-manganese nodules, ranging from a few centimetres to decimetres in size. The south-facing side of Cozzo Rizzo, covered in prickly pears, displays spectacular wind erosion patterns, with intense cracking and faulting. The subvertical Numidian quartz arenite flakes are also a beautiful sight, emerging as spikes through differential erosion among the trees.

The Calascibetta area is characterised by a sandstone plateau. Due to its geomorphological features, abundance of water sources and fertile fields, the area has long been ideal for human settlement. This is evidenced by the numerous artificial cave necropolises located along the rocky ridges. Clay fragments scattered on the ground are the only remaining traces of ancient settlements, which once stood on plateaus above the necropolises and have now almost completely disappeared.

Recent surveys and excavations have revealed that the necropolis was used in two main phases: the first during the protohistoric period (mid-9th to mid-7th century BC), and the second during the Archaic period (mid-7th to second quarter of the 6th century BC). The necropolis appears to have been reused in the Byzantine period, when some of the largest and most accessible tombs were converted into dwellings.

The Necropolis of Realmese, named after the nearby district of the same name, consists of artificial cave tombs that are mainly circular or rectangular in shape. Most of them have a convex-vaulted roof, which is typical of oven tombs. Along the two sides of the rocky ridge in the Calcarella Valley is a large necropolis containing over 100 cave tombs dating back to the Late Bronze Age. These tombs are dug into the local calcarenite rock and have a circular or quadrangular layout.

The oldest site, however, is the Necropolis of Malpasso, located a few kilometres from the town of Calascibetta. This necropolis consists of a small group of cave tombs carved into the rock and dating back to the Late Copper Age in Sicily (between 2500 and 2000 BC). Of particular note are the so-called ‘cluster tombs’, characterised by various interconnected rooms arranged at different heights and with an approximately circular layout. The presence of several cells in the same tomb testifies to the introduction of collective burial rituals and constitutes the oldest example of this practice on the island.

The rock settlement of Canalotto shows traces of habitation dating from the Late Copper Age to the present day. It is evidence of one of the most significant periods of domination in Sicilian history: the Byzantine period, which lasted from 535 to 827 AD. In 831 AD, the Arabs conquered the island and chose Palermo as the capital of the island. In 859, Castrogiovanni (modern-day Enna) was also conquered by the Arab general El Abbas. However, the rock habitat was already well established even before the Islamisation of the island, to the extent that the new conquerors fully adopted it, partly because it resembled the type of settlement found in their homelands, where troglodytism was widespread for climatic and environmental reasons.

The site allows us to observe the remains of different civilisations from various historical periods and origins: protohistoric cave tombs; Greek-Archaic chamber tombs carved into the rock; and Roman and Late Antique structures, such as arcosolia (arched niches used for burials) and columbaria (rooms containing many small niches for storing cinerary urns). From the Byzantine era onwards, many of these spaces were adapted for use as places of worship, as evidenced by the presence of two rock-cut churches. Other areas were used for the production of goods, as demonstrated by the two palmenti (structures for pressing grapes or olives), and for the processing of raw materials. The canalisation works, such as the qanat – an underground tunnel system used for capturing and collecting water – are evidence of the prolonged and industrious management of the site, and are among the features that characterise Arab domination in Sicily. Many caves were used as shelters during the Second World War and continued to serve as stables for animals until the end of the last century.

For the preservation and protection of the archaeological and natural heritage, access to the Vallone Canalotto archaeological site is only permitted in the company of Hisn al-Giran association members, who are responsible for its management.

Cereals, particularly durum wheat, have been cultivated in Sicily since Neolithic times, and food preservation has always been a priority. The ever-increasing production capacity of Sicilian agriculture over time led to the development of underground storage methods, inspired by the indigenous population’s expertise in creating hollowed-out structures.

The different types of silos dug into the rock found in the Geopark area are known by the dialect name stanzìe. These are generally truncated, cone-shaped pits that are half-filled and carefully sealed at the top, ensuring that the foodstuffs remain isolated from the outside environment. The deposited mass quickly depleted the remaining oxygen in the upper part of the stanzìa through transpiration, thus creating a saturated carbon dioxide environment that guaranteed long-term preservation. These grain pits were widespread between the First and Second Punic Wars, when much of central-eastern Sicily owed Syracuse a tax equivalent to one-tenth of its agricultural production. This had to be stored safely before being transported to the capital.

Following the Roman conquest of Sicily and the establishment of the ‘Roman province’, the practice of paying a tenth as tribute became widespread, and grain transport became essential to the island’s relationship with Rome. Traditional storage systems remained unchanged until the early 20th century, when new types of storage and transport were gradually introduced.

After being quickly absorbed into the Roman sphere of influence, Sicily became the granary of the Roman Republic and regained its full economic importance in late antiquity. Roman intervention in the road network therefore occurred very early on and was, with rare exceptions, limited to maintaining pre-existing routes, which often dated back to archaic times and could be traced to the routes of Greek colonisation. The aim was to connect the main centres of agricultural production and raw materials to the ports from which they would be shipped to Rome. In his Verrine, Cicero mentions these roads, known as annonarie, as they were primarily used for transporting grain. He observes that, remarkably for the 1st century BC, grain from the city of Henna could be transported in a single day’s journey to one of three ports: Halaesa Arconidea (modern-day Tusa) to the north, Catania to the east, and Finziade (modern-day Licata). Cacchiamo is located at a crucial junction of the Via Annonaria Henna–Halaesa and, because of its privileged position, feudal lords established a small village around a fortified farm here.

Calascibetta, along with Enna, Aidone, Assoro, Piazza Armerina, Valguarnera, and Villarosa, lies within the Geopark area where this aromatic, pressed, mature cheese is produced using whole, raw sheep’s milk and flavoured with saffron and black pepper. Other dairy products include ricotta made from sheep’s milk, widely used in both savoury dishes and desserts; Canestrato vacchino PAT, a cylindrical yellow cheese produced using traditional techniques; and local pecorino cheese ranging from primosale to more mature varieties and tuma.

Cuffiteddi are Christmas biscuits originating from Calascibetta made from flour and filled with toasted almonds and dried figs, while sgrinfiati are filled with almonds and orange zest.

According to tradition, the statue of the Madonna del Buonriposo was found in a sulphur mine. Miraculously, it became so heavy that it could not be transported to the village, which led to the construction of the current sanctuary at the site of its discovery. Every year, between the first Saturday in September and the following Monday, the largest rural festival in the province is held here. In addition to the decennial festival, which has been awarded the UNPLI quality mark, the evocative horse race known as the Palio dei Berberi is held.

This summer event is dedicated to Sicilian nougat, a traditional sweet made with sugar, dried fruit, almonds, and hazelnuts.