Project Description
Chiaramonte, past and present, oil and wine
From Ragusa | Full Day
Chiaramonte is the best place to catch the essence of well-being based on good food and drinks, through the red line of a lifestyle that local people keep holding with genuinity and tradition. The town is very small and its breathtaking views embrace Mt Etna, the vast flat lands and Monti Iblei, a sloping plateau charachterized by dry stone walls and thousands of olive trees, some of them even millenary. The panorama encompasses also the fertile vineyards producing the famous Nero d’Avola wine, as well as Frappato and “Cerasuolo di Vittoria”, a magic blend which combines the first two red grapes. Wine and olive oil are the secrets behind the joie de vivre of the local people who are dedicated to preserve their traditions, producing their golden liquid in the “masseria” based on recipe and traditions passed from generation to generation. Masseria is an old rural complex of adjoined houses around a courtyard. Here guests can understand and live the experience of a genuine meal, where the secret ingredient is the love people will put to share their culinary tradition. A wine and olive oil sample tasting is a must at lunch time. Part of the day will be dedicated to the visit in town of the olive oil museum and embroideries and lace museum. Here you will learn the fine art that old ladies teach still today to the younger generation while sitting on the pavement outside their houses. Table clothes, linen and other items handmade are part of young ladies dowery still today. Before lunch you will be involved in a cooking class, learning how to enrich your recipies with the supreme quality cheese, sausage, tomato sauce and olive oil of course…
Chiaramonte Gulfi is a small town, south east of Sicily, not faraway from Ragusa and located at one the highest points of Monti Iblei. From Here you can enjoy beautiful views as far as Mt Etna to the north and down to south west all along the plain of Gela and all the way to the Southern coast close to Agrigento area.
The landscape overlooking those area has millenary olive trees and vineyards as well as dry stone walls where flocking sheeps produce supreme quality ricotta cheese and other milk produces.
The territory, rich of water, has been inhabited from the iron age, but settlements date back and go through the Roman, Byzantine and medieval time. The name comes from the Chiaramonte family.
They were one of the most powerful noble family in 1300; one of the family members, Manfredi Chiaramonte, moved the town of Gulfi, sieged by the Angevins, on a higher and safer place giving the name of his own family.
A castle and walls were built to defend the town and one of the gates of the castle is today a main historical iconic landmark in town.
The town was destroyed by the 1693 earthquake and rebuilt on the same site following new artistic and architectural inspirations and ideas.
Today the town lives of farming activities which are developed in the countryside characterized by sloping terraces enclosed by dry stone walls. The “masseria” was the epicenter of the farming and social activities in the past where olive oil and wine, flowers and cheese, were storaged and worked.
The masseria is a complex of adjoined rural houses around a big courtyard, normally having a cistern and a dwell in the center, where all the daily or seasonal activities were done.
Today Chiaramonte, together with its peculiar territory, is the perfect place for travellers that want to enjoy interactive activities with the local people to learn about a unique lifestyle run with genuinity.
The town has little cobble stone alleyways where the local ladies still prepare their embroideries sitting just outside the house they reproducing timeless activities dating back to the ancient time…
- Private Sedan car or Mercedes Viano up to seven seats
- Private driver speaking your language
- Fuel, motorway toll and parking fee
- Half day service with private driver and car UP TO 4 HOURS
- Full day service with private car and driver UP TO 8 HOURS
- Water bottle onboard
- Visits, stops and panoramic driving tours described on the itinerary
NOT INCLUDED:
- Archeological sites, monuments and churches entrance fees
- Local products and wine tasting or culinary experiences unless included
- Driver and local guides gratuities (we suggest 10% if services meets or exceeds your expectations)
- Local Sicilian regional licensed guide
- Meals, wine tasting or culinary experiences if not already included in the itinerary
- Yachts, helicopter or private plane rental linked to our ground transportation service
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or send us a message requesting information, our team will respond as soon as possible.
