Spiritual Tourism in Sicily: a Guide for Pilgrims and Travellers

Sicily is one of the richest destinations for spiritual tourism in the Mediterranean. Within a few hours' drive you move from the catacombs of the first Christians to golden Byzantine mosaics, from mountain shrines to walking routes, from Holy Week processions to the feasts of patron saints. This guide is for anyone planning a spiritual trip to Sicily, alone, as a couple, with family or with a parish group.

What spiritual tourism means

Spiritual tourism, or religious tourism, refers to travel in which faith, prayer or inner searching are central: pilgrimages, visits to shrines, walking routes, retreats, taking part in religious feasts. In Sicily it can be lived in many different ways. Here are the main ones.

1. Shrines and places of the saints

• Syracuse: the Basilica of Saint Lucy al Sepolcro, the catacombs of San Giovanni, the Shrine of Our Lady of Tears.
• Catania: the Cathedral with the relics of Saint Agatha.
• Palermo: the Shrine of Saint Rosalia on Monte Pellegrino.
• Tindari: the shrine of the Black Madonna, above the sea.
• Taormina: the church of Saint Pancras and the shrine of the Madonna della Rocca.

Many more are described in Places to meditate in Sicily.

2. Byzantine Sicily

For lovers of sacred art and Eastern spirituality, Sicily offers the great mosaics of Monreale, Cefalù and the Palatine Chapel, the Martorana in Palermo, where the Byzantine rite is still celebrated, and the churches of ancient Basilian monasteries in the Messina area. It is a journey suited to both Catholics and Orthodox: I describe it in Byzantine Sicily and the Italo-Greek saints and Orthodox pilgrimage in Sicily.

3. Walking routes

In recent years several pilgrimage routes have been created or revived, such as the Magna Via Francigena from Palermo to Agrigento, the mountain Via Francigena from Palermo to Messina and the Itinerarium Rosaliae. I describe them in Pilgrimage walking routes in Sicily.

4. Religious feasts and Holy Week

Saints' feasts and Easter rites are among the most powerful experiences of a spiritual trip to Sicily: the Mysteries of Trapani, the hooded confraternities of Enna, the feast of Saint Agatha in Catania, the Festino of Saint Rosalia in Palermo. Dates are gathered in Holy Week and Easter in Sicily and Religious festivals in Sicily: the calendar.

5. Nature, silence and walking

Many also look for slow travel in nature: Etna, the Nebrodi, the Madonie, the Alcantara valley. You can walk in prayer, even with poles as in Nordic walking, and meditate outdoors, as I explain in Christian meditation in nature.

6. A spiritual day near Taormina

For those who wish to live a day of prayer and Christian friendship, near Taormina I offer spiritual days: common prayer, a meal prepared and shared, walks in the countryside, the saints of ancient Sicily. They are reserved for Catholic and Orthodox Christians, with no overnight stay and entirely free. They are not a tourist service: they are hospitality in the spirit of Abraham.

When to go

• Spring (March-June): mild climate, nature in flower, Holy Week. The best time for walking.
• Summer (July-August): great patronal feasts, such as Saint Rosalia in Palermo and the Vara in Messina, but intense heat: better to walk early in the morning.
• Autumn (September-November): soft light, warm sea, fewer crowds. Excellent for walks and shrines.
• Winter (December-February): Saint Lucy in Syracuse on 13 December, Saint Agatha in Catania in early February, living nativity scenes in many towns.

Getting around

The main airports are Catania (convenient for Taormina, Syracuse and Etna) and Palermo (for Monreale, Cefalù and western Sicily). Trains and buses link the main cities, but a car is often needed for inland shrines and monasteries. Taormina is served by Taormina-Giardini station, on the Messina-Catania line.

Practical tips for pilgrims

• Enter churches with shoulders and knees covered, in silence.
• Do not sightsee during Mass: take part or wait.
• Opening hours and access change: check the official websites.
• At the big feasts there are large crowds: arrive early and follow directions.
• In summer: water, a hat and breaks in the shade.

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: 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 · Places to meditate in Sicily

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

• Sicilian Region, VisitSicily – Sicily's Vie Francigene
• UNESCO – Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalù and Monreale
• UNESCO – Syracuse and the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica
• VisitItaly – The Procession of the Mysteries in Trapani (Italian)
• Shrine of Our Lady of Tears, Syracuse (official site, Italian)