Sortino

Sortino is a hill town in the Hyblaean plateau, perched above the Anapo valley and known for its honey, a tradition reaching back to the Arab era, and as the eastern gateway to Pantalica, the vast prehistoric necropolis inscribed by UNESCO with Syracuse. A working town rather than a stage set — that is precisely its appeal.

Why visit

Travellers come to Sortino for a version of Sicily that belongs to itself. The town sits at the edge of the Riserva Naturale Pantalica, Valle dell’Anapo e Torrente Cavagrande, so prehistoric tombs, river gorges and abandoned railway paths all begin a short walk from the centre. The honey here is genuinely celebrated — Sortino is officially one of Sicily’s “città del miele”, and local beekeeping traditions are kept alive in a dedicated house-museum. Add a compact baroque centre rebuilt to a single coherent plan after 1693, a strong puppet-theatre tradition, and an annual feast in honour of Saint Sophia on 10 September, and you have a destination that rewards travellers who want depth over spectacle.

Character and history

The story of Sortino is one of movement and reinvention. Its origins are tied to Xuthia, an ancient settlement in the valley below, and to Pantalica itself, whose rock-cut tombs date from the thirteenth century BC; one local tradition holds that the town’s name descends from refugees who fled Pantalica during the Byzantine and Arab invasions. Under the Normans the site was known as Panterga. That earlier town was obliterated by the catastrophic earthquake of 1693 that levelled much of south-eastern Sicily, and Sortino rose again on the hill of Cugno del Rizzo, laid out on a rational grid around an octagonal central square — the Quattro Canti — which remains the town’s architectural heart. The rebuilding gave Sortino an unusually orderly late-baroque fabric, quieter and less visited than the famous towns of the Val di Noto nearby. The link with Pantalica never faded: the plateau above town is densely scored with chamber tombs, and shepherd paths that once connected the necropolis to the valley still trace the ridge. In more recent generations Sortino has become known for its artisan puppet workshops, which helped keep the Sicilian opera dei pupi tradition alive when elsewhere it slipped towards extinction. Honey, meanwhile, moved from farmstead craft to civic identity — the basis of the town’s standing among Sicily’s honey cities.

What to see

Begin in the Historic Centre di Sortino, where the grid plan converges on the octagonal Quattro Canti and church façades follow one another in restrained Sicilian baroque. The Church di Santa Sofia honours the town’s patron saint, whose feast on 10 September brings processions, music and illuminations to the streets. For a change of register, the Cave del Lauro opens onto the limestone and spring-water landscape of the surrounding countryside, a reminder of how closely the town is stitched into its valley. Two small museums deepen the visit: the Museo dei Pupi, celebrating Sortino’s renowned family of Sicilian puppet makers, and the Casa Museo dell’apicoltura tradizionale, devoted to traditional beekeeping. And looming over everything is Pantalica, whose thousands of rock-cut tombs scar the walls of the Anapo gorge a short drive away.

How to experience

Come with an appetite. Taste the local honeys — wildflower, orange blossom, eucalyptus — in the town’s small shops, and try the pizzolo, the stuffed flatbread that is Sortino’s signature street food; honey also perfumes local sweets such as ncanniddati and cuddureddi. If you are here in September, time your stay around the feast of Saint Sophia for the town at its most alive. Walkers should devote at least a day to the Anapo valley: the old railway line along the valley floor makes an easy, shaded track beneath the Pantalica cliffs. Food shops stay open through the middle of the day, and the people behind the counters are generally happy to let you taste before you buy. Late afternoon, climb to a terrace near the Quattro Canti and watch the light go gold over the Hyblaean hills, then settle into a trattoria for pasta with pork ragù or wild fennel — this is a town best enjoyed slowly.

Practical planning

Sortino lies roughly an hour’s drive from both Catania airport and the city of Syracuse, and public transport is thin, so a car is the practical choice. The town is compact and walkable, though its hilltop streets are steep in places. Spring and autumn suit the valley walks best; summers are hot, while the feast of Saint Sophia in mid-September brings crowds and atmosphere in equal measure. Check visiting arrangements for the museums and for Pantalica access points before setting out, using local tourism information and the siracusaturismo.net portal, since arrangements vary through the year.

Nearby places

Sortino makes an excellent quiet base for the south-east. Palazzolo Acreide is the closest baroque town, with a superb Greek theatre and archaeology museum; Noto offers the grandest baroque streetscape in Sicily; Avola brings the sea and its famous almond; and Lentini carries ancient Syracusan history inland. Syracuse itself, with Ortigia and the Greek theatre, is an easy drive.