Sciacca, Sicily

Overview

Discover Sciacca: Private Tours, Experiences & Custom Travel

Sciacca is one of the most visited of Sicily's southern towns, featuring roads in and out of the city that take one along a beautiful, much-indented stretch of coast with a number of beckoning beaches. The city is well-worn and the made the more interesting because amidst its modern jumble, cascading down the slopes of the hinterland, it reveals the influence of many overlapping cultures. The busy harbour at the city's feet adds its own distinct charms, and the fishermen who harbour here contribute mightily to the wonderful cuisine of the area.

Sciacca is is also the site of a number of thermal spas which have allegedly health-giving properties. Indeed, the very, very old city of Sciacca itself emerged out of these hot, fuming waters.

The ancient Greeks had already settled nearby Selinunte when, at some point between the 7th and 5th centuries BC, they discovered sulphurous hot springs and "sweat caves" on the slopes of Mount Kronio, also known as Mount Cologero, a short distance to the east. Some of them moved to the area to be closer to the springs or to serve the tourist trade of the day, but it wasn't until the Saracens settled the area in the 9th century AD that a proper town was organized. Walls were built, a grid of streets laid out, the harbor opened to trade.

Like virtually all other cities and towns of Sicily Sciacca bore the brunt of the brutal comings and goings of conflicting empires: Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Romans, Spaniards, French and Austrians. It is these cultures, and the religions they practiced, whose cultural influences are palpably felt within the embrace of the modern city.

Over its long history Sciacca was destroyed and rebuilt many times. For all the efforts to fortify the city and render it impregnable, however, only short distances of the old walls, with its 5 gates, remain today. The gates themselves are better preserved and some are still in use. The most used is the western gate, Porta Palermo - through which runs the much-used highway to Palermo.

Sciacca became infamous throughout the Mediterranean world during the period from 1400 to 1529 AD as the result of a protracted and extremely bloody civil war that broke-out between two competing baronial families, the Perollo and Luna. During the struggles - referred to at the time as "the Case of Sciacca" - over half the population met their deaths. Things did not settle until Giacomo Perollo was killed by Sigismondo Luna in 1529. Perollo's body was savagely mutilated and dragged through the city at the end of a horse's tail - an act which raised such outrage that Luna had to flee to Rome where, haunted by the horror, he ultimately committed suicide by leaping into the Tiber.

Today's city is an architectural mixture mostly of modern and banal structures and a few gems in the centro historico - its historical center - that were built in medieval times. The remains of the very old and evocative Luna Castle sitting on the slopes that rise behind Sicacca looms over the city as a reminder of the bloody past. The Duomo, in Sciacca's ancient heart, was constructed in the late-Baroque style. The Palazzo Steripinto, from the late 15th and early 16th centuries, features diamond shape ashlars on its facade suggestive of similar architecture in other parts of Italy, such as the Palazzo dei Diamante in Ferrara.

Piazza Carmine, where one finds one of the original gates of the city, the Porta San Salvatore, is one of the main gathering places of Sciacca. The gate leads to Chiesa del Carmine, which is an 1817 neo-classical reconstruction of the original Norman Church built in the 13th century. The Piazza Scandaliato is even livelier - a good place to take in the passing scene while enjoying a robust cup of Sicilian espresso, or perhaps a lunch whose menu might consist of fish taken from local waters.

About 7 kilometers from the city to the east is Mount Calogero, named for a hermit who resided there in the thermal caves during the 6th century AD. The hermit was eventually sainted for his good works, and Saint Calogero is Sciacca's patron saint to this day. A grand Baroque-style basilica dedicated to Calogero was built near the site during the 16th century. As to the caves themselves, they are now part of the Grande Albergo delle Stufe - a hotel resort which offers a variety of spa treatments for those with real and alleged ailments. Not only that, the views across the surrounding landscape and across the southern Mediterranean might have even more salutary impacts.

Best time to visit Sciacca - shoulder seasons for sure. May, June, September or October - when the fierce heat of the Sicilian summer is abated.

Jesse Andrews, 2016

Plan Your Experience

Explore Sciacca

Sciacca in pictures

Gallery

A few frames from our own trips. The rest are in the gallery below.

Aerial View of Sciacca, Sicily

Map

Get your bearings before you go

Multi-Day Holidays Tours

Whole journeys, planned end to end

Exploring the 1 Euro Houses and Surrounding Areas in Sicily September 10-18, 2022

This unique adventure through Sicily will showcase some of the highlights of this unique island as we meet with local officials and experience towns which are welcoming visitors to restore houses that can be purchased for 1 Euro. We will show you th...

Small Group

8 Days / 7 Nights

Photo Gallery

Aeolian Islands

Agrigento

Castellammare del Golfo

Taormina

Termini Imerese

Tindari

Trapani

Aeolian Islands

Agrigento

Castellammare del Golfo

Catania

Cefalu

Enna

Erice

Forza D'Agro

Giardini Naxos

Island of Favignana

Island of Ustica

Marsala

Messina

Modica

Mondello

Monreale

Noto

Palermo

Pantelleria Island

Piazza Armerina

Porticello

Ragusa

San Vito Lo Capo

Savoca

Scala dei Turchi

Sciacca

Scopello

Segesta

Selinunte

Siracusa

Taormina

Termini Imerese

Tindari

4 Beds 4 Baths 8+2

Air Conditioning +13 more

From €12,640 / night

View Details

Italy,Sicily,Palermo

Villa

Villa Sussurro delle Onde

5/6 Beds 6/7 Baths 10/13

Air Conditioning +14 more

View Details

Italy,Sicily

Villa

Villa Calmo

3 Beds 2 Baths 6

Air Conditioning +12 more

View Details

Find it faster

Tell Us Where You Want to Go

Search our tours, places to stay and the corners of Italy we know best.

Tell Us Where You Want to Go

Popular Transfer Routes in Sciacca

The rides our guests ask for most, with a driver who knows the way.

Italy Vacation Specialists provides licensed private transfer services throughout Italy, including Sciacca and surrounding areas. With over 20 years of experience, our professional English-speaking drivers offer both Business Class and Luxury Class vehicles for airport transfers, city-to-city rides, and full-day chauffeur services. All vehicles are fully insured, well-maintained, and operated by vetted local drivers who know the roads, traffic patterns, and best routes across the region.

Rome Florence

Private Transfer

Rome Naples

Private Transfer

Rome Venice

Private Transfer

Florence Venice

Private Transfer

Milan Venice

Private Transfer

Naples Amalfi

Private Transfer

Rome Amalfi

Private Transfer

Milan Lake Como

Private Transfer

Florence Siena

Private Transfer

Naples Sorrento

Private Transfer

Every journey is different. Tell us where you need to go.

Request a Transfer Quote

Your Name*

Your Email*

Your Phone Number*

Dates for Travel (MM/DD/YYYY)

Number of Adults

Number of Kids under 12 years

Your request *

In their words

Stories That Stay With You

Here's what our guests share about their unforgettable journeys

“Jesse, There are no words to describe the fabulous time we had in Italy. Everything went as you promised. Absolutely no problems! The venues were fabulous. The guides were punctual and helpful. It couldn't have worked out better. You and your staff deserve hig…”
Jo Ann West Read their story

“As a travel agent, but also a traveler to Italy, thee is no other company I would recommend than the Italy Vacation Specialists. Not only do they really care about what they are doing, they also really know Italy and try to educate many people about ways they…”
Laura Chomiak, Travel Agent Read their story

“I went to high school with the owner of the company who organized my honeymoon for myself and my now wife from Tokyo. We spent three short weeks seeing Piedmont and experiencing wine paradise there, then heading to Nice in France with our private driver and fl…”
Robin and Kumi Bruun, Tokyo Japan Read their story

“I am a travel agent with All About Honeymoons and I would highly recommend Italy Vacation Specialists. Jessica was wonderful in helping us plan in a last minute anniversary vacation during high season without any issues. She even checked on our clients while o…”
Tammy Joyce, All About Honeymoons Read their story

“The trip was great; we appreciate all the hard work you and your team invested to make our experience a once in a lifetime trip. We appreciate all the attention to the details, in particular Giuseppe spending the time and the focus with us on the road and as w…”
Leon and Michele Read their story

“My husband and I just took a two week trip to Italy that was planned for us by Eleanor Kinchin-Smith. It was a fantastic trip and we could not have been more thrilled. We worked together with Ele to let her know about our interests and our style of travel. She…”
Emily and David Davison Read their story