Petralia Sottana is a picturesque mountain village with a population of about 3,000. It is located about 50 minutes by car from the Tyrrhenian coast, at an elevation of 1,000 m. (3,000 feet) above sea level.
Here are some images:
https://www.google.com/search?q=Petralia+Sottana+Images&rlz=1C1_____enUS455US455&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiWpvSFps7XAhXM64MKHYLYDXsQsAQIJw&biw=1920&bih=945
More information is available at the town’s own website or on its Wikipedia site.
Getting There
By taxi from Palermo or Catania airport please contract directly with Giuseppe Conoscenti (+39 338 286 1332). It should cost you about 100 euros from either airport to Petralia. Alternatively you can privately contract with a taxi from one of the airports.
By car, from Palermo take A19 highway towards Catania, exit at “Tre Monzelli,” follow SS120 to Petralia Sottana.
By bus, from Palermo. Autolinee S.A.I.S. Departs from Palermo, Via Balsamo, 16 adjacent to the main train station (Stazione Centrale). Tentative schedules are as follows. Departures: Mon-Sat. 2:15 pm and 6:15 pm. Sundays 8 am and 5 pm. Please call SAIS in advance to confirm the schedules, tel. +39 (091) 617.1141.
Another alternative is to fly into Catania (a slightly longer drive than from Palermo).
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What To Do
There are two tennis courts at walking distance from the convent where the workshop is held. I encourage you to bring your racquet if you are interested; I will bring mine.
There is a swimming pool, in town but NOT at easy walking distance from the convent. If interested in swimming, I suggest taking advantage of the pool at the Masseria Sgadari instead, which is scenic and is open to workshop participants.
There is a large national park, Parco delle Madonie, starting at the edge of town. There are walking trails there. Information about the trails is available at the Ente Parco delle Madonie, which is located a few minutes away from the convent at 16 Corso Paolo Agliata (the main street of Petralia Sottana).
A short drive away is Petralia Soprana, Sottana’s sister village (Soprana means Upper, whereas Sottana means Nether). Petralia Soprana is equally if not more picturesque, and even less touristic. I have a soft spot for the cakes of Bar Aspromonte, which is located on Corso Umberto I, right near the town hall.
A few minutes away from Petralia is one of the largest rock salt mines in the world, operated by Italkali. It is not open to the public, but the town is happy to arrange a special trip if conference participants are interested. Driving down deep inside this cavernous mine is an erie experience. Some conference participants (Coviello, Gagliarducci, me) made the trip last year, and we can give you details if you are curious.
Nearby villages of Gangi and Polizzi Generosa are picturesque and less than 30 minutes away by car.
In about 1 hour you can reach the beach of Lascari. If you are interested in this trip Giorgio Fazio, one of the conference participants, has a house there and can help conference participants plan a trip.
In about 1.5 hours by car you can reach the village of Piazza Armerina and the nearby Villa del Casale. This is a Roman villa built in the 4th century containing the richest, largest and most complex collection of Roman mosaics in the world. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
About 1.5 hours in the opposite direction will take you to Palermo, the capital of Sicily. It is a city rich in history, architecture, gastronomy, and organized crime.