Monte Pellegrino is one of the most iconic sites in Palermo, painted and photographed countless times. The promontory was defined as "the most beautiful in the world" by Goethe, and it has always been considered the sacred mountain of the city, where the stones tell holy stories and myths going back through the centuries to the very first human settlements of the area.
Going up to the top of Monte Pellegrino means immersing yourselves in nature, discovering breathtaking views of the city and, in the meantime, retracing the history of its cults and religions: from the Phoenician Tanit, goddess of fertility, to the Basilian monks in the Middle Ages; from the catholic Santa Rosalia, who saved Palermo from the plague in 1624 and became the Patron saint of the town, to the syncretism of the Palermitan Tamil community, one of the biggest in Europe.
We will walk along the old sacred pathway in order to experience the "acchianata", which is the "devotional climbing" done by Palermitans every September 4th, which is the birthday of Santa Rosalia, and anytime they need a grace from her.
From the bottom of the mountain and the noisy traffic of the city, we will reach the silent and mysterious sanctuary of the patron saint, a simple cave, which is thought to be as important as any majestic Arab-Norman or Baroque church of the city.
