Holiday apartment in Salemi: Culture, Bread and the Belice Valley

Salemi lies on a hill in the Belice Valley and is surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. Museums, churches, archaeological remains and religious traditions add to the character of the town.

Hilltop views over the Belice Valley

The Castello Normanno-Svevo stands on the hill of Salemi’s historic centre. From there, you can look out over the Belice Valley and a large part of western Sicily.

Museums between art and remembrance

The Museo civico di Salemi is housed in the Collegio dei Gesuiti, built in the 17th century. It includes an archaeological section, a section dedicated to the Risorgimento and a section devoted to sacred art.

The sacred art section contains the “Madonna della Candelora” by Domenico Gagini and a “Madonna and Child” by Laurana, carved in Partanna alabaster.

The Museo della Mafia and the Officina della Legalità present the phenomenon of organised crime through newspaper articles, literary works and films. The history of Salemi can also be traced along the streets of the Jewish quarter of Giudecca.

Churches, ruins and early remains

The Chiesa di Sant’Agostino is the oldest church in Salemi. Its first structure was built in 1290, and it was expanded by the Augustinians in the 15th century. The church houses numerous works by Domenico Gagini, including the statues of Saint Luke the Evangelist and the Madonna del Soccorso.

It is also known as the “Pantheon of Salemi’s illustrious citizens”, because some distinguished residents, including Simone Corleo, hold the Ius Sepulturae there. A cloister is attached to the church, where the Augustinians lived.

The Basilichetta di San Miceli is an early Christian site dating from the 4th to the 6th century AD, with mosaic floors and Greek and Latin inscriptions. Remains of the former Chiesa Madre, dedicated to Saint Nicholas of Bari and dating from 1761, have been preserved in Salemi; its apse preserves the memory of the tragic events of the 1968 earthquake. Pietra Campanedda is a stone typical of Salemi.

Bread, festivals and local forms of expression

Salemi still preserves the ancient tradition of votive breads. For the religious festivals of San Giuseppe on 19 March, Sant’Antonio Abate on 17 January and San Biagio on 3 February, elaborate bread forms resembling Baroque architecture are made. The Ecomuseo del Grano e del Pane contains videos, photographs and artworks that interpret bread and ritual traditions. It is dedicated to a historically and architecturally significant space that was probably built in the early years of the 18th century as the seat of the Congregazione della Santa Casa di Loreto.

During the San Giuseppe festival, homes in Salemi are opened to visitors. Highlights include communal meals beside the altars, which are decorated with bay leaves, fruit, bread and flowers.

More travel ideas

If you would like to consider further destinations for your travel plans in addition to Salemi, you can also explore Levanzo, Biscione, Baglio Todaro, Karuscia, Buseto Superiore, Valderice, Casa Santa and Favignana.

To the main travel overview: Trapani.