Places to Meditate in Sicily: Shrines, Monasteries and Nature for Prayer
Sicily is full of places where silence speaks of God. Mountain shrines, Byzantine churches with golden mosaics, Basilian monasteries hidden in valleys, caves once inhabited by ancient hermits, nature parks between the sea and the volcano. Here is a short guide to places to meditate and pray in Sicily, by area. For the places closest to Taormina there is a dedicated page: Places to meditate near Taormina and Messina.
Eastern Sicily: Syracuse and the places of Saint Lucy
- Basilica of Santa Lucia al Sepolcro, Syracuse: it stands where Saint Lucy was buried, above the catacombs. Caravaggio painted the Burial of Saint Lucy for this church in 1608.
- Catacombs of San Giovanni, Syracuse: one of the largest catacomb complexes after those of Rome, a testimony to the first Christians of Sicily.
- Shrine of Our Lady of Tears, Syracuse: linked to the weeping of a small image of Our Lady in 1953; the shrine was dedicated by Saint John Paul II in 1994.
- Pantalica, inland from Syracuse: a valley of great beauty, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005, where in Byzantine times small communities carved oratories into the rock, such as the Grotta del Crocifisso and San Micidiario.
Catania and Etna
- Cathedral of Saint Agatha, Catania: it keeps the relics of Saint Agatha, returned from Constantinople in 1126.
- Etna Park: woods, extinct craters and high-altitude silences. Etna has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013.
The centre: Enna
- Enna, the highest provincial capital in Italy, birthplace of Saint Elias the Younger: from its heights the gaze takes in the whole island.
Palermo, Monreale and Cefalù
- Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio (the Martorana), Palermo: a 12th-century church with splendid Byzantine mosaics, today a Byzantine-rite church of the Eparchy of Piana degli Albanesi. It is one of the places where the Eastern liturgy still lives in Sicily.
- Shrine of Saint Rosalia, on Monte Pellegrino: the cave where, according to tradition, Palermo's patron saint lived as a hermit, and where her remains were found in 1624.
- Monreale Cathedral and Cefalù Cathedral: the great golden mosaics of Christ Pantocrator, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Arab-Norman Palermo since 2015. Before that gaze it is natural to stop in silence.
- Shrine of Gibilmanna, in the Madonie above Cefalù: a Marian shrine among the woods, cared for by Capuchin friars.
The Messina area, the Nebrodi and Tindari
- Shrine of Tindari, on the promontory above the sea: the Black Madonna is venerated here, a destination for pilgrims from all over Sicily.
- Monastery of San Filippo di Fragalà, near Frazzanò in the Nebrodi: founded around 1090 by Count Roger and his wife Adelaide, it was an important centre of Basilian monks.
- Nebrodi Park: the largest wooded area in Sicily, with beech forests, small lakes and mountain pastures.
- The places closest to Taormina and Messina, such as Santi Pietro e Paolo d'Agrò, Santa Maria di Mili and the shrine of Dinnammare, are on the page Places to meditate near Taormina and Messina.
How to experience these places
A sacred place is not a museum: it is a space for prayer. Enter in silence, sit down, let beauty speak. You can read a psalm, repeat the prayer of the heart, or simply look. The same applies in nature parks: walk slowly, listen, give thanks. I explain this on the page about Christian meditation in nature.
A spiritual day near Taormina
If you would like to live these moments in company, with common prayer, a shared meal and walks in the countryside, you can join the Christian spiritual days I offer near Taormina. Destinations are agreed together.
Opening hours and access to places of worship and parks may change: it is best to check the official websites before going. Enter churches in silence and suitably dressed, without disturbing services.
How to take part
The days take place near Taormina, in Sicily. The places to visit are agreed together each time. There is no overnight stay: we share one day, and in the evening everyone returns to their own home. Hospitality has no price and does not depend on any offering: whoever comes is welcomed for who they are. Everyone contributes as they can: anyone who cannot leave anything is welcomed like everyone else, and takes part by giving a little of their time.
The days are reserved for Catholic and Orthodox Christians, because they are lived in shared prayer. To ask for a date, simply write to me on WhatsApp. The spirit of the days is told in the manifesto of hospitality.
If you would like to know what makes this mission possible, read The circle of love.
Explore the other pages
The days: Christian spiritual days in Sicily · The Philoxenia of Abraham · Spiritual search and finding yourself · Day retreat, silent retreat and pilgrimage: the international names
Spiritual travel in Sicily: Spiritual tourism in Sicily: the guide · Pilgrimage walking routes in Sicily · Holy Week and Easter in Sicily · Religious festivals in Sicily: the calendar · Orthodox pilgrimage in Sicily · Spiritual Nordic walking and ski walking in Sicily
Nature and places: Spiritual Taormina · Spiritual walks in nature · Christian meditation in nature in Sicily · Places to meditate near Taormina and Messina
Prayer: Christian asceticism: the spiritual struggle · The prayer of the heart or Jesus Prayer · Hesychasm: the prayer of stillness · The Philokalia: the Neptic Fathers
The saints of Sicily: Byzantine Sicily and the Italo-Greek saints · Saint Hilarion the Great in Sicily · Saint Methodios of Syracuse · Saint Joseph the Hymnographer · Saint Elias the Younger of Enna · Saint Agatha of Catania · Saint Lucy of Syracuse · Saint Pancras of Taormina
Sources
- UNESCO – Syracuse and the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica
- Wikipedia – Necropolis of Pantalica
- UNESCO – Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalù and Monreale
- Wikipedia – Eparchy of Piana degli Albanesi
- Shrine of Our Lady of Tears, Syracuse (official site, Italian)
- UNESCO – Mount Etna
What this story teaches
In Sicily you need only raise your eyes to a golden mosaic or a mountain at sunset to remember that beauty is a door to God.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best places to meditate in Sicily?
Among the most beautiful: Pantalica, Etna Park and Nebrodi Park for nature; the cathedrals of Monreale and Cefalù, the Martorana and Santa Lucia al Sepolcro for sacred art; the shrines of Tindari, Gibilmanna and Saint Rosalia for prayer.
Are there monasteries to visit in Sicily?
Yes. Churches of ancient Basilian monasteries survive, such as San Filippo di Fragalà, Santa Maria di Mili and Santi Pietro e Paolo d'Agrò, as well as monasteries and convents still inhabited.
Where are Byzantine churches in Sicily?
In Palermo the Martorana and the Palatine Chapel, the cathedrals of Monreale and Cefalù with their Byzantine mosaics, and the Norman-era Basilian churches in the Messina area.
Does the Byzantine rite still exist in Sicily?
Yes. The Eparchy of Piana degli Albanesi, part of the Catholic Church, celebrates in the Byzantine rite, including at the Martorana in Palermo. There are also Orthodox parishes in Sicily.
What is Pantalica?
A valley inland from Syracuse with thousands of rock-cut tombs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005. In Byzantine times small rock-cut oratories were built there.
Where can you meditate in nature in Sicily?
In the Etna, Nebrodi and Madonie parks, at Pantalica, in the Alcantara valley and on the Peloritani mountains.
Can you pray freely in the shrines?
Yes, respecting opening hours and services. It is best to check the times on the official websites before going.
Are there organised spiritual days in Sicily?
Many dioceses, monasteries and parishes offer retreats. Near Taormina I offer Christian spiritual days with prayer, a shared meal and walks, with no overnight stay and entirely free.