What is Sutera known for?

Limestone block rising 820 meters above the Nisseno interior with the patronal sanctuary at the top, the geographic anchor of the village. Arab quarter of plastered houses, narrow lanes and rock-cut stairs, one of the best-preserved medieval districts in inland Sicily. Hosts refugee families through the SPRAR program, slowing the depopulation that emptied the inland Nisseno villages.

Sutera is a comune in the province of Caltanissetta, Sicily region of Italy, about 103 kilometers from Palermo.

Sicily · Caltanissetta

Sutera

A medieval village clinging to the base of a 800-meter monolith in the Nisseno interior, with an Arab quarter and a sanctuary on the summit.

600m

Elevation

103 km / 64 mi

Nearest hub (Palermo)

1,178

Population

Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Borghi più belli d'Italia

Why come

Sutera sits at 600 meters in the Nisseno interior, under the great limestone block of Monte San Paolino that rises another 220 meters above the village. The name comes from the Greek Soter, meaning savior, attached to a fortified Byzantine outpost that controlled the inland passes between Agrigento and Palermo. The medieval village is divided into three quarters: Rabato, Rabatello and Giardinello. Rabato, the Arab quarter, preserves its original lattice of plastered houses, narrow lanes and stairs climbing toward the mountain. The Santuario di San Paolino on the summit, reachable by a steep staircase cut into the rock, holds the relics of the town's two patron saints, Paolino and Onofrio. Sutera is one of the Borghi più belli d'Italia. About 1,180 people live in the commune, with around 200 inside the historic Rabato itself. In recent years the village has hosted refugee families through the Italian SPRAR program and slowed its depopulation.

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Gallery

4 photos · scroll →

Known for

Monte San Paolino
Limestone monolith rising 820 meters above the plain, dominating the village and crowned by the patronal sanctuary.
Rabato
Arab-era quarter on the slope of the mountain, with the original lattice of plastered houses, narrow paved lanes and steep stairs.
Santuario di San Paolino
Sanctuary on the summit of Monte San Paolino, reached by a rock-cut staircase and holding the relics of the patrons Paolino and Onofrio.
Chiesa Madre
Mother church of Sutera at the foot of the rock, the religious center of the village outside the patronal feast.

When to visit

Best months · Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

April through June and September through November are the best months in Sutera. The Nisseno plains push past forty degrees in midsummer; the 600-meter perch under Monte San Paolino takes the edge off, but the climb to the sanctuary is hard at midday. The Festa di San Paolino on 29 June fills the rock-cut staircase with pilgrims and the Rabato with bands. December through March is cold and quiet, with frost on the limestone block and many houses shuttered for the winter. The autumn olive harvest in the contrade below is the moment the village smells of fresh oil; the Sagra dell'Olio is held in November in the central piazza.