Monte Catalfano hosted an important quarry, pictured, of a soft rock composed of volcanic materials such as ash, lava, and magma. This rock is known as Aspra tuff, or “tufa,” in Italian. Down the road from where this photo was taken, the villas of Bagheria such as Palagonia, Cattolica, Butera, Valguarnera, and Spedalotto were constructed from tufa mined from this centuries-old quarry.
Allison Scola is founder, owner, and curator of Experience Sicily and the Cannoli Crawl. Named one of the experts for the 2019 New York Times Travel Show, Scola writes and lectures on Sicily and leads immersive tours and designs custom itineraries that delight discerning travelers. She has been featured on Rudy Maxa’s World with the Carey’s, America’s #1 Travel Radio Show and as the cannoli expert in the documentary Cannoli, Traditions Around the Table. Scola has lectured about Sicily at University of Pennsylvania, The New School, LIU Post University, Queens College, Westchester Italian Cultural Center, at high schools in the New York City metropolitan area, and at events in New York City.
