We set off once again on one of our journeys to discover the Sicilian territory, and this time hosting us is a small inland Sicilian town, the ancient “Leontinoi”, one of the first Greek colonies in Sicily.
During the journey, stretches of greenery, very little concrete and plenty of nature open up before our eyes.
Once we arrive at our destination, we meet Giorgio, our guide and storyteller for the entire day, who leads us through the streets of Lentini, telling us anecdotes, history and future projects.
Lentini is a municipality in the province of Syracuse, also called the “City of Oranges“, due to its high production of Blood Oranges of Sicily (PGI), thanks to the many citrus groves surrounding it.
Wandering through the streets of the historic center, rich in monuments and places of interest, Giorgio takes us to the Mother Church of Santa Maria la Cava and Sant’Alfio, to tell us the story of the three brothers Alfio, Cirino and Filadelfo, who were brutally killed right in Lentini despite the miracles they performed.
The Street Art of the Badia District
But it only takes a few hundred meters to reach the Badia district, where we discovered one of Lentini’s greatest attractions, “street urban art”, which literally enchanted us.
A project created thanks to the cooperative Badia Lost and Found, whose members, driven by their love for their city, designed a route through the streets of the historic center where numerous murals have been painted, recalling the history of the town and much more.
A journey within the journey, searching for murals created on house walls, abandoned buildings and even hidden corners; until, looking up, we found ourselves in front of a work covering about 300 square meters. A young peasant woman, dressed in traditional Sicilian clothing, crowned with a slice of “moro” orange, framed by Sicilian majolica decorations and green filigree motifs from which oranges and leaves emerge. A truly spectacular sight.
Each mural has its own meaning, its own story, with wonderful colors and small details waiting to be discovered. A true open-air contemporary art route through the streets of Lentini… absolutely not to be missed!
Sicilian Traditions and Authentic Flavors
As always happens during our travels, time flies quickly and now the most delicious and tasty part awaits us. Giorgio, Cristina and Roberta prepared for us a table full of delicacies, i Cudduruni, crescent-shaped focaccias originally created as a humble dish using leftover bread dough, filled with wild herbs and enriched with cheese and olive oil, then baked in a wood-fired oven. Today they are enriched with additional ingredients such as broccoli, onion, tuma cheese, sweet ricotta and wild chard. They are prepared on various occasions throughout the year, especially on Christmas Eve, although every day is the perfect day to enjoy them! Every family has its own variation, as always happens with traditional recipes.
After our delicious lunch, where good food and pleasant conversations took center stage, we went to visit the Church of the Holy Trinity, considered one of the most beautiful churches in Lentini. Declared a national monument, it was built on the ruins of the 16th-century La Palumba palace.
Inside, it preserves a beautiful ceramic floor from Caltagirone featuring the nuns’ coat of arms. Through a narrow and steep staircase, we managed to climb the bell tower and from there admire Lentini from above. A church bell tower and its bells are always a fascinating place!
Between History and Sicilian Magic
But the surprises are not over yet and after a coffee and dessert break we head to the Circolo Alaimo, founded in 1830 and officially declared in 1857 as one of the oldest historical conversation clubs in Italy. The furnishings, unchanged over time, old newspaper articles and antique prints made us take a real leap back into the past!
For today our journey ends and we return home satisfied and happy to have discovered another piece of magical Sicily, but above all new partners with whom we can develop future professional projects!
Due to limited time, we were unable to visit Lake Lentini (better known as Biviere di Lentini, also mentioned by Giovanni Verga in his work “La roba”), located not far from the town center, once completely drained and today reconstructed in its original location. A meeting place to spend days outdoors surrounded by unspoiled nature. One more reason to return to Lentini.
We are ready to live a new experience … and you?
