Castelbuono is a beautiful medieval town in the Madonie Mountains. This bell tower pictured is from one of the town’s churches–perhaps built in the 14th century. It is decorated with colorful majolica tiles. This time of year, the Comune di Castelbuono sponsors a series of events for the Christmas and New Year holidays, starting this weekend with the “Mercantino di Natale,” or the Christmas Market. Additionally, the Association of Restaurants hosts a festival featuring the dessert Testa di Turco. On Sunday and Monday, December 7-8, you can enjoy not only beloved seasonal sweets like Testa di Turco, but also other artisinal foods from the area as part of the festa. I apologize, I don’t have any of my own photos of Testa di Turco (Turk’s Head) pastry; however, if you’re curious, I suggest you do an image search using your favorite search engine to get the idea. You won’t be disappointed–some recipes call to decorate it with sprinkles as colorful as the tiles of this steeple.
