3 Best Sights in Capo d’Orlando, Sicily

Don't be put off by the drab, modern municipal building, which houses the fascinating Capo d'Orlando's contemporary arts center, archive, and gallery. A changing exhibition space staffed by a friendly and informative team displays works by dozens of Italian and international artists who have held residencies as part of an ongoing program that stretches back to 1955 called "Life and Landscape of Capo d'Orlando". One of these first visiting artists was Tono Zancanaro (1906--1985), a Padua native who fell in love with Capo's landscape and people and returned regularly thereafter, leaving a captivating and eclectic documentary collection of his work and Sicilian life.

Capo d’Orlando has a long strip of beachfront to explore, stretching out in both directions along the coast. The lungomare is the town's main strip, with plenty to entertain tourists in the high season, including restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and kiosks where you can buy anything needed for a day on the beach. The promenade is especially popular in the cooler post-sunset hours, when locals and tourists alike enjoy a passeggiata, bike ride, or jog. At the eastern end near the lighthouse, the path ends, but you can carefully walk by the road as far as San Gregorio, famed for the 1960s smash hit "Sapore di Sale," and its eponymous gelateria. Farther on is the sleek but soulless marina, which opened in 2017 and is lined with some interesting vessels, a motel, and a handful of uninspiring shops and eateries.

This church is located high above town, reachable by walking up the zigzagging road along the Strada Provinciale 147, or the signposted path at Via Libertá 87, by the candy store. Once you get up the steep hill (and it will be a bit of a workout), you can admire the breathtaking views along the coast; you can even see the peak of the Madonie above Palermo in the distance. The church itself houses the statue of the town's patron saint, the Madonna Maria Santissima, taken in a procession around the streets as part of feast day celebrations in October.