Meeting with the participants, bike fitting and transfer to Palermo train station. Bike + train transfer to San Nicola L'Arena Station (duration approximately 30 minutes). Once in the saddle, we'll start cycling to reach the entrance to the “Pizzo Cane, Pizzo Trigna and Grotta Mazzamuto” Nature Reserve. Once we leave the paved road, we will begin our ascent to Mount Sant'Onofrio along a fantastic, scenic dirt road with incredible views. Gradually, the landscape will change, and we'll plunge into an enchanting forest.
Our first stop will be at the ruins of Casina Artale: it was the country residence of the family of the same name and the hunting lodge of the Marquis Artale di Collalto, Baron of Colla Soprana. The fiefdom known as Torre Artale, covering over four hundred hectares, was surrounded by a dry-stone wall, a good part of which is still visible along the route, and was reserved for hunting by the baron and his noble guests. The “Casina” covered an area of over two thousand square metres.
Our ride will continue until we reach an exceptional lookout point, from where it will be possible to see the coast as far as Palermo, and then we'll descend to the Mazzamuto Cave, where we'll stop for a visit. The cave is also known as the “Giant's Gorge”, and is a cavern of considerable size and enormous historical and paleontological interest, with a karst origin.
Inside the cave, there are both stalactites and stalagmites; the site has been inhabited by humans since prehistoric times, and the remains of dwarf elephants and hippos have been found there. In centuries past, caves like this one led to Sicily being considered a mythical land, as it was believed that they had once been inhabited by giants, and the fossil remains of Elephas mnaidriensis were mistaken for the bones of gigantic humanoids.
After the visit, we will continue to San Nicola L'Arena, where we will once again take the train that will take us to Palermo.