Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the events of the day. The square's western end is formed by the
Chiesa di San Domenico
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, an 18th-century reconstruction of a 16th-century church.
ating three apses from the original Norman structure and adding an uncompleted facade.
Castello Incantato
(Enchanted Castle; 092 599 30 44; admission €3.50; 9am-1pm & 4-8pm Tue-Sat summer, 9am-1pm & 3-5pm
Tue-Sun winter)
About 3km east of town, the Castello Incantato is actually a large park fes-
tooned with thousands of sculpted heads. The man behind this bizarre collection was Fil-
ippo Bentivegna (1888-1967), a local artist who used sculpture to exorcise the memories
of an unhappy sojourn in the USA - each head is supposed to represent one of his memor-
ies.
His eccentricities were legion and still today people enjoy recalling them. Apparently,
he regarded his work as a sexual act and demanded to be addressed as 'Eccellenza' (Your
Excellency).
PUBLIC ART
SCIACCA CARNIVAL
Sciacca's carnival is famous for its flamboyance and fabulous party atmosphere. Held between the last Thursday
before Lent and Shrove Tuesday, and repeated in mid-May, it features an amazing parade of huge papier mâché
figures mounted on floats.
The festival opens with carnival king Peppi Nappa receiving the city's keys. The technicolour floats are then
released into the streets with their bizarre cast of grotesque caricatures: the figures are handmade each year using
traditional methods and are modelled on political and social personalities. The floats wind through the streets of
the Old Town, while masked revellers dance to locally composed music and satirical poetry is read aloud.
Spa Treatments
(treatments €34-200 )
The place to take the waters in town is the
Nuovo Stabilimento Termale
baths complex next door to the Grand Hotel delle Terme. Here you can indulge in a vast
range of treatments, including shiatsu massage, mudpacks and hydrotherapy in a 32°C
pool. Prices range from €34 for a straightforward facial to €200 for an uplifting 50-minute
breast-toning treatment.
SPA
