Mirabella Imbaccari: Camino, Bobbin Lace and Hilly Landscape

Between Pilgrimage Route, Handicrafts and Hill Country

Mirabella Imbaccari can be explored particularly through two experiences: the route through the landscape and an engagement with local handicrafts. The second stage of the Cammino di San Giacomo leads from Mirabella Imbaccari to Piazza Armerina along an old railway line through hills and fields. The stage also passes through gorges and alongside small streams. For hikers, both hills and fields as well as gorges and small streams shape the landscape impression of this section of the Cammino. This creates a landscape impression for you that combines open agricultural areas with more deeply cut sections.

The Museo del Tombolo

An important cultural highlight is the Museo del Tombolo. It contains lace, garments and furnishings made using the bobbin-lace technique. The museum covers approximately 700 square metres. Its anthropologically oriented exhibition tour uses precious trousseaus and finely crafted handmade objects to illustrate various stages of life from childhood to marriage. If you are interested in handicrafts, everyday culture and the visible forms of family life, this museum visit offers a correspondingly focused experience. For those interested in culture, the museum focuses not only on the technique itself, but also on its use in clothing and furnishings.

Castle and Other Museums in the Area

The Castello Aragonese, a castle, is located in the area around Mirabella Imbaccari. The Raccolta D'Arte e Archeologia, the Museo della Cattedrale and the Museo Diocesano Piazza Armerina are also located nearby. All three are museums.

Regional Landscape

The wider regional surroundings of Mirabella Imbaccari feature various types of landscape. Monte Iudica is a mountain, while Montagna di Marzo is a hill. There are also two parks: the Riserva Naturale Orientata Bosco di Santo Pietro nature reserve and the Riserva Naturale Orientata Sughereta di Niscemi nature reserve. Those interested in the regional landscape will find, in the wider surroundings, not only the mountain and the hill but also two nature reserves classified as parks. This gives you a range of elevations and protected natural areas that provides a scenic complement to the town’s cultural themes.

Approach Through Valley and Agricultural Landscape

The route from Piazza Armerina to Mirabella Imbaccari initially leads through the densely wooded valley of the Terranova River. The landscape then opens out into open country rich in grain, with vineyards and tall-stemmed trees.

San Giuseppe on 19 March

The tradition of San Giuseppe on 19 March includes votive altars decorated with embroidered cloths, flowers, candles and sacred images. There are also tables with fruit, sweets, oil and wine. The tradition of San Giuseppe on 19 March therefore has a fixed date in the annual calendar.

More Destinations

Mineo, Acireale, Santa Venera-portosalvo, Paternò, Torre Archirafi, Motta Sant'anastasia, Belpasso, Ramacca

To the higher-level travel overview: Catania.