Discover Montargano

Montargano brings together, within a compact narrative space, religious tradition, a volcanically shaped landscape and distinctive traces of local history. If, for your trip to Sicily, you are looking for more than just a name on the map and want to discover specific points of interest, you will find various starting points here: a church on a named local street, a lava field with distinctive vegetation, a grotto formed by magma and historic groups of houses. This makes it possible to get to know Montargano through both its culture and its landscape.

Chiesa di San Michele and the Festa di San Michele

The Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo is located in Montargano on Via Andronico Montargano. The access is also described in more detail to help with orientation on site: the church can be accessed via the forecourt; the change in elevation consists of a single lava-stone step. The church is therefore one of the town’s clearly locatable cultural destinations, and its visit can be combined with an exploration of the immediate surroundings.

The Festa di San Michele plays a special role in local celebrations in Montargano. It includes a procession with the simulacrum through the town’s streets, accompanied by brass-band music and prayers. The Festa di San Michele is associated with celebrations on September 29 and on the third or fourth Sunday in May. In May, the date is not set for a fixed Sunday.

Lava flow, vegetation and the Grotta del Forcato

The Sciare di Scorciavacca is located in the area between Montargano and Presa, a lava field formed by the lava flow of 1651. Its character is revealed not only by its geological origins but also by its vegetation: the landscape includes pioneer vegetation as well as scattered downy oaks, holm oaks, ash trees, broom, ferns and Astragalus species.

Another geological point of interest lies near the connecting road between Montargano and Presa. This is where the Grotta del Forcato is located. It was formed by magma that continued to flow beneath an already cooled layer of lava. The grotto thus represents a different aspect of the volcanic landscape from the open lava field: here, the underground path of the magma is the defining feature of its formation.

Also located along the connecting road between Montargano and Presa, near a rocky slope and the Vallone S. Venera, is a rural group of houses that has largely retained its characteristic elements.

Historic traces between Puntalazzo and Montargano

Costa Sovere lies between Puntalazzo and Montargano and was the first group of houses destroyed by lava on the night of November 4–5, 1928. This specific historical turning point adds another perspective to the religious and geological themes: here, the landscape appears both as a setting for human settlement and as the site of a documented lava event.

More destinations for your Sicily research

For further orientation, you can also explore Vizzini, Castiglione Di Sicilia, Pedara, Santa Maria Di Licodia, Riposto, Presa, Aci Catena and Misterbianco.

For the higher-level travel overview: Catania.