Discover Borsellino: Planetarium, Murals and Olive Culture

Planetario di Agrigento in Contrada Borsellino

The Planetario di Agrigento is located in Contrada Borsellino in the municipal area of Joppolo Giancaxio, a few kilometres from Agrigento. It was inaugurated in March 2019. As an astronomy museum, it is a museum and exhibition centre of around 300 square metres dedicated to astronomy and earth sciences, aimed at the public and schools. The complex includes a science museum for communicating astronomy and earth sciences, as well as an exhibition area with photographs and explanatory information sheets. The dome has a diameter of 6 metres; 50 seats are available for school visits. Private visits and group visits of at least 10 people are offered by prior reservation.

The Planetarium thus combines different forms of communicating knowledge: its astronomical focus is complemented by earth sciences, while the museum, exhibition and dome each have their own focus. For your travel planning, it is also important to note that private visits and group visits are not offered without prior reservation.

Art, Architecture and Local Stories

The Chiesa Madre San Francesco di Paola was built in the 17th century and designed in the neoclassical style. In Joppolo Giancaxio, murals transform building façades and streets into open-air art galleries. The murals tell stories, evoke emotions and pay tribute to local culture and traditions. Here, sacred architecture and art in public spaces take different forms: the church building refers to a historical era, while the murals connect imagery, street life and local memory.

Access to the Castello ducale di Joppolo Giancaxio is not always guaranteed. The building may be privately owned or open only on special occasions. The visit therefore cannot be assumed to be a reliably accessible item on the itinerary.

Activities on Adventure Courses and Nature Trails

Il Boschetto adventure park offers high-rope and acrobatic courses for adults and children. A reservation is required for the activities and use of the equipped area. Trekking and mountain biking are also available on nature trails in Joppolo Giancaxio. The activities therefore clearly differ in form: on the one hand, there are equipped high-rope and acrobatic courses; on the other, exercise on nature trails. Depending on your preferred pace of travel, you can consider these two types of experience separately.

Olive Oil, Street Food and Regional Cuisine

Santa Oliva offers a tasting tour in Contrada Borsellino through the oil mill and olive groves of Azienda Agricola Russo. Every year, Joppolo Giancaxio celebrates the olive harvest and the production of new extra virgin olive oil. Mangia e Passia is a street food festival held in June, featuring typical local products and Sicilian street food specialities. Agriturismo Reggia Saracena has a restaurant with 60 seats serving traditional regional cuisine.

The culinary themes thus range from a tour of an oil mill with a tasting, through the annual connection with the olive harvest, to a June festival and traditional regional cuisine. This gives you access to local products in a way that clearly differs from the cultural and nature-related offerings.

Choose Borsellino According to Your Interests

Joppolo Giancaxio is included in the Gran Tour Agrigentino. Together with the Planetario di Agrigento in Contrada Borsellino, the murals, the Chiesa Madre, the nature trails and the offerings centred around olive oil and regional cuisine, this creates a diverse picture for travel planning. When choosing a hotel in Borsellino, you can take your preferred focus into account: astronomy, culture, outdoor activities or culinary discoveries.

More Destinations

Aragona, Realmonte, Licata, Naro, Torre di Gaffe, Raffadali, Villaggio Mosè, Eraclea Minoa

To the higher-level travel overview: Agrigento.