Favara > Itinerary 3

Favara is renowned worldwide for its sette cortili (seven courtyards) which have been turned into Farm Cultural Park: a lively hotspot which proposes various events linked to contemporary art, architecture and design. The ‘Farm’, as insiders call it, has been classified in the ‘contemporary art top 10’ and is a space open to the future in which artists, specialists, children and just anyone else can meet up and enjoy the challenge of new horizons. ‘Farm’ was founded in 2010 on June 25 by Andrea Bartoli and his wife, Florinda Saieva, and in just e few years they have brought about a genuine urban regeneration. The positive influence has penetrated into society, turning Favara into a centre which stimulates and develops various innovative cultural and touristic projects. In the narrow streets which were once a Kasbah you won’t only come across art, but also places to have a bite: ‘Basta’ proposes sumptuous pasta dishes, salads and snacks and in other hidden corners you’ll find Sicilian street food, pizza and sweet delicacies.

The central square, Piazza Cavour, is within walking distance and is surrounded by trendy restaurants, cafés and monumental buildings such as Barone Mendola’s 19th century library and  museum, the baroque style Chiesa del Rosario with its ornate stuccoes and the medieval castle built in about 1275 by Federico II of the noble family of Chiaramonte. In this extraordinary place you can take a stroll and come across centuries of history, art and beauty in just a few hundred square meters. Not far from Piazza Cavour there are three other important historical sites: Palazzo Càfisi, which houses exhibitions and events, the 17th century Chiesa Madre with its marvellous dome and the renaissance style Chiesa del Carmine.

When in the area, be sure to plan a stop at Marzipan, Museum of the Sicilian Almond, recently founded to promote both the qualities of the Sicilian almond and its local varieties as well as the much loved tradition of marzipan moulding: Favara has a long tradition in the production of sweet Easter lambs made of almonds and sugar and filled with chopped pistachio nuts. The exhibition unfolds the history of this precious nut, illustrates the cycle of its production and the tools used to cultivate it and, last but not least, its many uses in the kitchen in both sweet and savoury dishes. Thanks to Go Sicily, in the kitchen of  “Marzipan” or “Farm Cultural Park”, you can live a Sicilian cooking experience which embraces emotions, senses and ancient traditions.