Randazzo 🗝️

Randazzo held the keys to our hearts 🗝️

On the 5th December 2007 Mr K and I found ourselves standing in the main square of the medieval city of Randazzo with a set of keys in our hands wondering what the hell we had just done after signing the final official paperwork to purchase our new home in Sicily.

Five weeks earlier we had viewed a house in Giardini Naxos and it was love at first sight. The next day we headed to meet the owner who lived in Randazzo and whose name actually was Signor Randazzo. This was our first visit to Randazzo, the second time was to exchange contracts and be handed the keys at the notaries office in the main square.

On our third visit to Randazzo we haphazardly ended up there around 11pm after an evening of wine tasting with friends in Castiglione di Sicilia who then wanted to head on somewhere else for more food and more wine. As we followed the convoy of cars we did not have a clue where we were heading until I saw a road sign that said Randazzo. One thing I do remember about this night time road trip was that Etna was in full eruption and was lighting up the sky with bright orange fountains of lava. We ended up getting back home to Giardini Naxos at 3am, way past our bedtime these days. You can read all about this crazy volcanic wine tasting adventure later.

So in reality after three visits to Randazzo we have never actually ever explored Randazzo, it was on our “must do” list.

Randazzo, in Sicilian dialect Rannazzu, is situated at the northern foot of Mount Etna and it is the nearest town to the summit of the volcano.

In the 13th century it had its own army which fought in favour of the king against rebels. In 1210 King Frederick II of Hohenstaufen and his young wife Constance of Aragon sheltered at Randazzo to escape the terrible plague which was raging in Palermo.

Randazzo became one of the most densely populated towns in Sicily after Palermo and Messina. It was divided into three quarters, the Greeks lived in San Nicola (St Nicolas’s quarter), the Latins in Santa Maria (St Mary’s quarter) and the Lombards in San Martino (St Martin’s quarter).

Randazzo was the scene of important action during the late stages of Operation Husky during the Allied invasion of Sicily during World War II and evidence of bomb damage is still evident to this day.

The city is known for its black lava stone architecture, its rich Byzantine, Swabian and medieval history and also its gastronomy and wine, to reach Randazzo you must pass by Etna’s many volcanic vineyards.

Every Sunday, between 8am and 2pm, there is a bustling market where you can buy some of the local produce grown in the Alcantara Valley and on the fertile soil of Mount Etna, the market is also well known for its local meats like salami and also for locally made cheese. In early June there is a wonderful flower festival where the three quarters compete against each other to have the best flower adorned balconies and the medieval streets are filled with eye popping colours and the sweet scent of flowers fill the air.

Randazzo is also a main stop for the Ferrovia Circumetnea, Etna’s little train railway that circumnavigates the volcano.

Last October we decided to visit the Festival of Pistachio’s in the city of Bronte which sits under the shadow of Mount Etna on her north western side. In order to reach Bronte we would need to drive through the Alcantara Valley and past Randazzo. It was the perfect opportunity to stop off in Randazzo to reminisce and to explore with our dog Duke and also to have a traditional Sicilian breakfast at a pasticciere e gelatiere where it is said that they make one of the best, maybe even the best, granita on the island.

The drive to Randazzo takes just under one hour from Giardini Naxos and there are two scenic routes that we could take.

From Giardini Naxos we drove up towards the town of Linguaglossa on the north eastern slopes of Etna. The town was founded on an old lava stream in 1566. Linguaglossa is the gateway to Etna Nord and to the many volcanic vineyards in the area. The name literally translates to "Tongue Tongue" from Latin Greek due to the strips of lava it is built on and the formation of the surrounding pine forests.

Driving through the small towns on the slopes of Etna we always find ourselves having to stop at many railway crossings most of which are still operated by hand, the little train that comes tumbling past is the Circumetnea train which has been going around Etna since 1895. The Circumetnea is a narrow gauge railway of 110 kilometres that starts in Catania and ends in Riposto, and vice versa.

On our drive to Randazzo we passed through stunning scenic and rural landscapes with Etna's summit smoking away under a cerulean blue sky on our left hand side and she was visible throughout the journey. It was a perfect way to enjoy the volcanoes beauty as we crossed citrus orchards and olive groves, ancient lava flows, small villages, vineyards and breathtaking volcanic countryside. We also drove past the Cuba di San Domenica (the Byzantine Cube of Santa Domenica) which is one of the most mysterious religious buildings in Sicily.

The other slightly longer route, but not by much, would have taken us through the beautiful Alcantara Valley past the Gole Alcantara, alongside the Alcantara River, and through the medieval towns of Francavilla di Sicilia and Castliglione di Sicilia which is known as Sicily’s City of Wine.

Both routes really are a most beautiful part of the world surrounded by breathtaking landscapes.

On arrival in Randazzo we parked our car in the square where we had stood holding the keys to our new Sicilian house eighteen years earlier. Little did we know then that one day we would have a four legged companion to join us there one day.

With Duke we headed for the Centro Storico (Historic Town Centre) along Via Umberto past Il Buongustaio dell’Etna, where we had ended up on our volcanic wine tasting evening with our friends a few years earlier. This lovely store sells hundreds of different bottles of Sicilian wines, the walls are literally covered in shelves displaying them, they also sell local produce like honey, marmalade, jams, pestos and sweet treats made from a variety of local nuts. You can sit and enjoy a platter of bread, olives, meats and cheeses complimented by a glass, or a bottle, of the most amazing volcanic wine.

We headed on to find the Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta which is the architectural highlight of any visit to Randazzo.

Located in the old Latin quarter, the present building of this magnificent church was built using black lava stone and is an aggregation of various architectural styles ranging from the 13th to the late 1800’s. The facade shows spectacular duotones, sculptures and rose windows and the naves in the interior are flanked by black monogram columns. A church at the site was initially built in the 13th century. The church underwent major refurbishment during 1591 and 1605. Under the Aragonese rule of the Kingdom of Sicily, the church served as the site for the reunion of the General Parliament of Sicily. The original bell tower collapsed during the 1693 earthquake and during the Allied invasion in 1943 there was further damage. The church stands proudly looking very regal and has a mysterious gothic appearance to it.

After visiting the church we had worked up an appetite and were ready for our Sicilian breakfast at Santo Musumeci.

This lovely little pasticciere e gelatiere was established in Randazzo in 1967 by Santo Musumeci, a local pastry maker. He was a winner of the annual Sherbeth Festival and on one occasion his daughter Giovanna went with him to assist him. The Sherbeth festival is the world’s leading International Artisan Gelato Festival held annually in Palermo in Autumn. Growing up in the pasticciere, after a change of career, gelato became Giovanna’s passion and when her father sadly passed away in 2022 she took over the realm of the business which she now runs with her two sisters. To some Giovanna is known as “Sicily’s Queen of Gelato”. Giovanna has been featured in many newspaper articles and was also featured in the easyJet inflight magazine which is how I discovered her on a flight from London to Catania. Before this our Sicilian friends who live in London had also told me about a place in Randazzo that made the most luscious granita. The pastry shop was included in Gambero Rosso's "Guida Gelaterie d'Italia 2021," which lists the best gelato shops in Italy.

Giovanna uses local seasonal produce for her gelato and granita from the fertile soil nearby, fruits and nuts are in much abundance on the land surrounding Randazzo and so we expected to be spoiled for choice for our granita. But as we were heading to the Pistachio Festival for me I already had my choice of flavour in mind …

Situated smack bang opposite the Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta we found ourselves a table and perused the granita menu that boasts seasonal flavours. On our visit there was pistachio, strawberry, raspberries, mulberries, chocolate, almond, mandarin, prickly pear … I said to myself “Sarah !!! Keep your mind on the theme of the day !!! You must have PISTACHIO!!!”.

Now we have embarked on indulging in Sicilian breakfast in many locations in Sicily over the past twenty years and we were just blown away by the portions of granita that we were served. Our granitas arrived in a huge serving glass and believe me they were the biggest portions we have ever witnessed on the island.

Granita was created by the Arabs, who looking to quench their thirst in the Sicilian heat during their invasion of the island, ate snow from Mount Etna which they flavoured with Lemons from the slopes of the volcano.

Granitas are usually served with warm Sicilian brioche which is a soft sweet bread made using Marsala wine and honey for a unique taste. Sicilian brioche is different from other types because it has a characteristic shape, its full name is brioche co tuppu. The word tuppu derives from the French word toupee which resembles the shape of the top part of the brioche.

The combination of the warm brioche and ice cold granita is mind blowing. Once your Sicilian breakfast arrives tear the tuppu off the top of the bun, then dip into your granita, bite, repeat, dip, bite, repeat …….

I am totally an almond or lemon flavour kinda girl BUT my pistachio granita was absolutely heavenly and the brioche was like dipping a little cloud and all for the grand price of €8 for two granitas and two brioche. We were two happy bunnies.

After our delicious breakfast we headed off for a walk about town, Duke loves street walking and exploring so we let him choose his own four legged route.

Alot of the old buildings tell their own tale with damage from the Allied bombardment in 1943 and the narrow medieval viccoli (alleys) are lovingly adorned with colourful plants and flowers. Randazzo really is a lovely place to wander around.

Duke stumbled upon Via Degli Archi (Archi translates to “Arches”). This is one of the oldest streets in Randazzo and its crowning feature are the four rounded arches with double lancet windows and twisted marble columns. Recently restored, its original basaltic lava cobble pavement is still present. This quaint medieval street leads onto the Saint Nicolò Square in which a marble figure of a man stands representing “Old Randazzo”. This is the old Greek quarter dating back to the 13th century and here we found the Church of Saint Nicola which is the biggest church in Randazzo. The bell tower was never completed due to a number of misfortunes and dates back to the 18th century. The apses are 13th century and the facade was built in the Renaissance era. The dome was rebuilt after bomb damage during the war. Inside there are a number of pictures and sculptures by Antonello Gagini. Duke had timed his walk down this street perfectly at midday when every church in Randazzo bells started ringing together in harmony.

A distinctive feature in Randazzo is its black lava flagstone roads in the historic centre. The lava stone creates a stunning surface and has a sheen from wear and tear over hundreds of years of history. As you walk around its historic centre you can imagine horse and carts trundling along and the historic people who have passed by on them before you.

After our dog walk it was soon time to move on to our next destination Bronte, the home of Sicily’s green gold and Lord Admiral Nelson’s castle.

But first I could not resist stopping at an ape three wheeled vehicle which was parked in the main square whose vendor was selling the most huge and plump peaches I have ever seen.

The late Leonforte PG Pesca, also known as the “Settembrina” (September Peach) is a fruit grown in Leonforte and its surrounding municipalities. It has a late harvest in autumn which is achieved using a particular cultivation technique. The main characteristic that distinguishes this peach growing is the practice of bagging the individual fruits whilst still on the tree starting in June. The fruit is naturally protected inside its parchment paper bag, which will remain bagged until it is big and ripe. The town of Leonforte is in the Province of Enna and its peach harvest time usually occurs in the months of September, October and November. These peaches have a very sweet and soft pulp which makes them a great fruit for dessert and perfect for making jams which I will certainly be doing this autumn in Sicily.

I bet that Giovanna would be able to conjure up an amazing Settembrina Peach Granita, don’t you think? The perfect excuse for another visit.

To be continued … In my next Blog post join us at the Pistachio Festival of Bronte.

Follow Giovanna on Instagram

@gio_ice