Experience Sicily

Tag: caccamo

  • My Lady, I’ll Have Pizza

    The Normans made sure that their castle at Caccamo was impenetrable. With construction dating back to the 11th century, it sits atop a steep mountain overlooking a vast green valley and fresh water lake (a rarity in Sicily). Today, you are welcome to visit the Castello’s museum. The imposing structure also houses an excellent pizzeria,…

  • In Sicily, A Rare Event

    The castle in Caccamo is covered with snow today, as is much of Sicily, a rare event!  Thank you to Massimiliano Macaluso for your beautiful photo!

  • I Can’t Figgettabout Buccellato

    These beautifully sculpted cookies are called buccellato (single pastry/cookie) or buccellati (plural). Buccellati are very closely associated with Christmas in Sicily. They are pastries stuffed with dried figs and raisins or chopped almonds and chocolate. These pictured, from Maria Grammatico Pasticceria in Erice, are of the fig variety. I don’t know Maria Grammatico’s recipe exactly,…

  • Oh, Bring Us Some Buccellato

    During the month of December, especially in the mountain town of Caccamo in the province of Palermo, professional and home bakers prepare buccellato and other confections in celebration of Christmas. Buccellato is realized as a wreath-shaped cake or as pastries stuffed with dried figs and raisins or chopped almonds and chocolate. These buccellati pictured contain…

  • Mixing It Up in Sicily: Battle of the Bands in Caccamo

    In June 2013, I heard this rock band in a battle of the bands contest in Caccamo, a medieval mountain town famous for its castle. They played “Jump” by Van Halen. The drummer Manuel is the teenage son of my cousin’s husband. He rocked the house. There’s always something new mixing it up in Sicily.

  • Caccamo’s Impenetrable Castle

    The Normans made sure that their castle at Caccamo was impenetrable. Constructed starting in the 11th century, it sits atop a steep mountain overlooking a vast green valley. Today, you are welcome to visit its museum. It also houses an excellent pizzeria.