Caccamo

Medieval town of great historical and artistic interest, dominated by the imposing castle built overhanging a cliff. In Caccamo was held the first experience of critical consumption in support of a victim of Pizzo.

Among majestic monuments and natural beauty, Caccamo offers many recreational and cultural opportunities. First of all the Castle, one of the largest and best preserved among the Norman castles in Sicily and Italy. It stands on an imposing rocky base, located at the foot of Monte Rotondo, constituting a natural extension of its stone walls. From its ramparts the view sweeps over the green valley, at the bottom of which sparkle the waters of Lake Caccamo, the characteristic elongated. Born for defensive purposes, from the fourteenth century onwards the Castle was subjected to a series of changes that completely changed its appearance, becoming in the second half of the seventeenth century a real castle and lost its strategic function. Since 1813 the De Spucches family had a large structure built in white stone all in medieval style, with towers, a moat and a courtyard, whose interior looked like a royal residence.  Finally, in 1963, the residence was purchased by the Sicilian Region, which began long restoration works. Today, going to the Castle, you will have the opportunity to admire the Museum of Arms, the prisons with the graffiti left by the condemned and the beautiful rooms, such as the "Hall of the Conspiracy of the barons". 

But Caccamo does not end with the Castle. Since 2012 the spectacular Church of San Benedetto alla Badia has been reopened to the public: it is a "church-living room" dating back to 1700, a unique Sicilian craftsmanship for its 5,555 majolica tiles decorated with brightly colored figures. Another valuable element is the grandiose wrought iron gate in the shape of a fan: an artifact of inestimable value, which marks the border between the religious and the profane.

In Caccamo you can also find stories of anti-mafia commitment: like the one involving the Scimeca, owners of a family-run pastry shop, which produces typical sweets, 
In 2005, their complaint effectively inaugurated the practice of critical consumption of Addiopizzo. Today more than ever it is nice to support those who dare to rebel against the Mafia by eating a panettone or a "Pizzo-free" almond biscuit!

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