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Province of Enna

Enna Province
Sperlinga Castle, province of Enna
Carmelovunque, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Enna province, situated in the exact geographical center of Sicily, is often called the island’s “navel” and holds a special place in the island’s cultural and spiritual heritage. Unlike Sicily’s coastal provinces, Enna is mountainous, mysterious, and deeply rooted in ancient history.

With its dramatic hilltop towns, sweeping landscapes, tranquil lakes, and sacred sites, Enna province offers a journey into the timeless heart of Sicily. Here, traditions remain alive, and the connection between people and land is powerfully evident.

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Enna Province
Province of Enna, Sicily

The elevated beauty of Enna Alta

Though this guide focuses on the province as a whole, no journey through Enna province is complete without acknowledging Enna Alta, the lofty provincial capital perched over 900 meters above sea level. It’s one of the highest provincial capitals in Italy.

The town offers panoramic views stretching across central Sicily and is home to the imposing Castello di Lombardia, once one of the largest fortresses in Europe. From its towers, visitors can see Mount Etna on clear days, linking the inland heights to the volcanic coast.

Castles, towers, and tales of conquest

The province of Enna is a land of castles and medieval relics that tell stories of conquest, defense, and nobility. In addition to the Castello di Lombardia, the province features several lesser-known but equally fascinating strongholds.

Among them is Sperlinga Castle, carved partly into the rock itself and overlooking a gorge near Nicosia. With its hidden staircases and ancient chambers, it offers visitors an atmospheric glimpse into Sicily’s feudal past, surrounded by an untouched rural setting.

The sacred legacy of Demeter and Persephone

In Greek mythology, Enna is the legendary land of Demeter and Persephone. According to ancient lore, Persephone was abducted by Hades in the fields of Enna, near the Lake of Pergusa, marking the mythological origins of the seasons.

The archaeological site near Pergusa Lake holds ancient altars and temples believed to be dedicated to Demeter, the goddess of agriculture. Today, the lake and surrounding Riserva Naturale Speciale Lago di Pergusa are peaceful places for reflection, birdwatching, and walking trails steeped in myth.

Lakes, hills, and the green heart of Sicily

While Sicily is often associated with the sea, Enna province offers a completely different natural landscape. The countryside is dominated by hills, forests, wheat fields, and freshwater lakes, offering a serene and fertile setting unlike anywhere else on the island.

Besides Lake Pergusa, there’s Lago Nicoletti and Lago Pozzillo, both surrounded by rolling hills and ideal for outdoor activities like kayaking, cycling, and picnics. These lakes are quiet retreats for nature lovers looking to escape the heat of the coast.

Hilltop villages and timeless traditions

The charm of Enna province lies in its remote villages, each with its own identity, festivals, and slow rhythm of life. Villages like Aidone, Leonforte, Troina, and Calascibetta offer narrow lanes, ancient churches, and panoramic views over Sicily’s interior.

These towns are living museums where shepherds still guide flocks across the hills, artisans produce handmade goods, and local dialects echo through medieval alleys. Visitors are welcomed with warmth and often treated to home-cooked meals made with local ingredients.

The archaeological marvel of Morgantina

One of Sicily’s most significant archaeological sites, Morgantina, lies in the heart of Enna province near Aidone. This ancient city dates back to the pre-Greek era and flourished under Greek and Roman rule before being abandoned around the 1st century AD.

The site includes a theatre, agora, houses, and mosaics that provide insight into the daily life of an ancient Sicilian city. Many artifacts discovered here, including the famous Venus of Morgantina, are displayed in the Aidone Archaeological Museum nearby.

Cultural festivals and religious devotion

Throughout the year, Enna province hosts traditional festivals that reflect its spiritual roots and vibrant community life. The Holy Week processions in Enna are among the most dramatic and emotional in all of Italy, involving thousands of hooded participants in solemn silence.

Elsewhere, celebrations like the Festa del Grano in Leonforte honor the wheat harvest with folkloric displays, costumes, and processions that date back centuries. These festivals are deeply tied to the land, faith, and agricultural rhythms of the province.

The rich and rustic flavors of Enna

Enna’s cuisine is rustic, hearty, and filled with local flavor. As a landlocked province, it focuses on meats, grains, cheeses, and legumes rather than seafood. Dishes are often simple in ingredients but rich in taste and tradition.

Signature dishes include maccu di fave (a broad bean soup), pasta with pork ragù, and dishes made with wild herbs and foraged greens. Local cheeses like piacentinu ennese, flavored with saffron and black pepper, are unique delicacies not found elsewhere in Sicily.

Planning your visit to Enna province

To truly appreciate Enna province, visitors should plan a slower-paced journey, ideally with a car to explore remote towns and countryside. Public transport can be limited, and many villages are not connected by frequent routes.

Accommodation options include rural farm stays, guesthouses in medieval towns, and small family-run hotels. The best times to visit are spring and autumn, when the weather is mild and the landscape is green and blooming, perfect for exploring the tranquil beauty of Sicily’s highlands.

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Flag of Sicily
Flag of Sicily
Location of Sicily
Location of Sicily
Provinces of Sicily
Provinces of Sicily
  • Comunes of Sicily
    • Agrigento
      • Agrigento
        Alessandria della Rocca
        Aragona
        Bivona
        Burgio
        Calamonaci
        Caltabellotta
        Camastra
        Cammarata
        Campobello di Licata
        Canicattì
        Casteltermini
        Castrofilippo
        Cattolica Eraclea
        Cianciana
        Comitini
        Favara
        Grotte
        Joppolo Giancaxio
        Lampedusa e Linosa
        Licata
        Lucca Sicula
        Menfi
        Montallegro
        Montevago
        Naro
        Palma di Montechiaro
        Porto Empedocle
        Racalmuto
        Raffadali
        Ravanusa
        Realmonte
        Ribera
        Sambuca di Sicilia
        San Biagio Platani
        San Giovanni Gemini
        Santa Elisabetta
        Santa Margherita di Belice
        Sant’Angelo Muxaro
        Santo Stefano Quisquina
        Sciacca
        Siculiana
        Villafranca Sicula

    • Caltanissetta
      • Acquaviva Platani
        Bompensiere
        Butera
        Caltanissetta
        Campofranco
        Delia
        Gela
        Marianopoli
        Mazzarino
        Milena
        Montedoro
        Mussomeli
        Niscemi
        Resuttano
        Riesi
        San Cataldo
        Santa Caterina Villarmosa
        Serradifalco
        Sommatino
        Sutera
        Vallelunga Pratameno
        Villalba

    • Catania
      • Aci Bonaccorsi
        Aci Castello
        Aci Catena
        Aci Sant’Antonio
        Acireale
        Adrano
        Belpasso
        Biancavilla
        Bronte
        Calatabiano
        Caltagirone
        Camporotondo Etneo
        Castel di Iudica
        Castiglione di Sicilia
        Catania
        Fiumefreddo di Sicilia
        Giarre
        Grammichele
        Gravina di Catania
        Licodia Eubea
        Linguaglossa
        Maletto
        Maniace
        Mascali
        Mascalucia
        Mazzarrone
        Militello in Val di Catania
        Milo
        Mineo
        Mirabella Imbaccari
        Misterbianco
        Motta Sant’Anastasia
        Nicolosi
        Palagonia
        Paternò
        Pedara
        Piedimonte Etneo
        Raddusa
        Ragalna
        Ramacca
        Randazzo
        Riposto
        San Cono
        San Giovanni la Punta
        San Gregorio di Catania
        San Michele di Ganzaria
        San Pietro Clarenza
        Santa Maria di Licodia
        Santa Venerina
        Sant’Agata Li Battiati
        Sant’Alfio
        Scordia
        Trecastagni
        Tremestieri Etneo
        Valverde
        Viagrande
        Vizzini
        Zafferana Etnea

    • Enna
      • Agira
        Aidone
        Assoro
        Barrafranca
        Calascibetta
        Catenanuova
        Centuripe
        Cerami
        Enna
        Gagliano Castelferrato
        Leonforte
        Nicosia
        Nissoria
        Piazza Armerina
        Pietraperzia
        Regalbuto
        Sperlinga
        Troina
        Valguarnera Caropepe
        Villarosa

    • Messina
      • Acquedolci
        Alcara Li Fusi
        Alì
        Alì Terme
        Antillo
        Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto
        Basicò
        Brolo
        Capizzi
        Capo d’Orlando
        Capri Leone
        Caronia
        Casalvecchio Siculo
        Castel di Lucio
        Castell’Umberto
        Castelmola
        Castroreale
        Cesarò
        Condrò
        Falcone
        Ficarra
        Fiumedinisi
        Floresta
        Fondachelli-Fantina
        Forza d’Agrò
        Francavilla di Sicilia
        Frazzanò
        Furci Siculo
        Furnari
        Gaggi
        Galati Mamertino
        Gallodoro
        Giardini-Naxos
        Gioiosa Marea
        Graniti
        Gualtieri Sicaminò
        Itala
        Leni
        Letojanni
        Librizzi
        Limina
        Lipari
        Longi
        Malfa
        Malvagna
        Mandanici
        Mazzarrà Sant’Andrea
        Merì
        Messina
        Milazzo
        Militello Rosmarino
        Mirto
        Mistretta
        Moio Alcantara
        Monforte San Giorgio
        Mongiuffi Melia
        Montagnareale
        Montalbano Elicona
        Motta Camastra
        Motta d’Affermo
        Naso
        Nizza di Sicilia
        Novara di Sicilia
        Oliveri
        Pace del Mela
        Pagliara
        Patti
        Pettineo
        Piraino
        Raccuja
        Reitano
        Roccafiorita
        Roccalumera
        Roccavaldina
        Roccella Valdemone
        Rodì Milici
        Rometta
        San Filippo del Mela
        San Fratello
        San Marco D’Alunzio
        San Pier Niceto
        San Piero Patti
        San Salvatore di Fitalia
        San Teodoro
        Santa Domenica Vittoria
        Santa Lucia del Mela
        Santa Marina Salina
        Santa Teresa di Riva
        Sant’Agata di Militello
        Sant’Alessio Siculo
        Sant’Angelo di Brolo
        Santo Stefano di Camastra
        Saponara
        Savoca
        Scaletta Zanclea
        Sinagra
        Spadafora
        Taormina
        Terme Vigliatore
        Torregrotta
        Torrenova
        Tortorici
        Tripi
        Tusa
        Ucria
        Valdina
        Venetico
        Villafranca Tirrena

    • Palermo
      • Alia
        Alimena
        Aliminusa
        Altavilla Milicia
        Altofonte
        Bagheria
        Balestrate
        Baucina
        Belmonte Mezzagno
        Bisacquino
        Blufi
        Bolognetta
        Bompietro
        Borgetto
        Caccamo
        Caltavuturo
        Campofelice di Fitalia
        Campofelice di Roccella
        Campofiorito
        Camporeale
        Capaci
        Carini
        Castelbuono
        Casteldaccia
        Castellana Sicula
        Castronovo di Sicilia
        Cefalà Diana
        Cefalù
        Cerda
        Chiusa Sclafani
        Ciminna
        Cinisi
        Collesano
        Contessa Entellina
        Corleone
        Ficarazzi
        Gangi
        Geraci Siculo
        Giardinello
        Giuliana
        Godrano
        Gratteri
        Isnello
        Isola delle Femmine
        Lascari
        Lercara Friddi
        Marineo
        Mezzojuso
        Misilmeri
        Monreale
        Montelepre
        Montemaggiore Belsito
        Palazzo Adriano
        Palermo
        Partinico
        Petralia Soprana
        Petralia Sottana
        Piana degli Albanesi
        Polizzi Generosa
        Pollina
        Prizzi
        Roccamena
        Roccapalumba
        San Cipirello
        San Giuseppe Jato
        San Mauro Castelverde
        Santa Cristina Gela
        Santa Flavia
        Sciara
        Scillato
        Sclafani Bagni
        Termini Imerese
        Terrasini
        Torretta
        Trabia
        Trappeto
        Ustica
        Valledolmo
        Ventimiglia di Sicilia
        Vicari
        Villabate
        Villafrati

    • Ragusa
      • Acate
        Chiaramonte Gulfi
        Comiso
        Giarratana
        Ispica
        Modica
        Monterosso Almo
        Pozzallo
        Ragusa
        Santa Croce Camerina
        Scicli
        Vittoria

    • Siracusa
      • Augusta
        Avola
        Buccheri
        Buscemi
        Canicattini Bagni
        Carlentini
        Cassaro
        Ferla
        Floridia
        Francofonte
        Lentini
        Melilli
        Noto
        Pachino
        Palazzolo Acreide
        Portopalo di Capo Passero
        Priolo Gargallo
        Rosolini
        Siracusa
        Solarino
        Sortino

    • Trapani
      • Alcamo
        Buseto Palizzolo
        Calatafimi Segesta
        Campobello di Mazara
        Castellammare del Golfo
        Castelvetrano
        Custonaci
        Erice
        Favignana
        Gibellina
        Marsala
        Mazara del Vallo
        Paceco
        Pantelleria
        Partanna
        Petrosino
        Poggioreale
        Salaparuta
        Salemi
        San Vito Lo Capo
        Santa Ninfa
        Trapani
        Valderice
        Vita

Hotels in Sicily
Hotels in Sicily
SicilyWEATHER
Sicily Climate (Palermo)
 
High
Low
Sun
Rain
Jan
9
2
3
55
Feb
11
3
4
53
Mar
13
4
5
63
Apr
17
7
6
55
May
21
11
8
35
Jun
25
15
9
44
Jul
28
17
10
34
Aug
28
17
9
54
Sep
25
14
7
61
Oct
20
11
6
74
Nov
15
8
4
71
Dec
12
3
3
77
Table Key:
High - Average monthly high temperatures
Low - Average monthly low temperatures
Sun - Average hours of sunshine per day
Rain - Average monthly rainfall in mm
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