Testa dell'Acqua and Castelluccio

Castelluccio

Along the Tellaro valley, between the municipalities of Modica and Noto, lies the former Castelluccio Feud, belonging to the marquises Di Lorenzo. It is one of the oldest and most important archaeological sites in Italy, cradle of the Castelluccio civilization, a Sican community already present in the Bronze Age (between 2200 and 1450 BC. C). In the Valle della Signora (literally, Valley of the Lady), they built a necropolis with more than 200 tombs. Their gravestone, with spiral-shaped decorations symbolizing fertility, are preserved at the Paolo Orsi Museum in Syracuse. And then, not far from the necropolis, we find the ruins of the fortified acropolis. Another small gem is the Castle of Castelluccio dating back to 1356 and situated on a hill overlooking the territory, built at the behest of Giovanni Landolina during the battles between the Angevins and the Aragonese. For many centuries, the ruins of the castle remained hidden by a thick layer of vegetation, and only recently have they become accessible again, thanks to the skillful work of Forestry Corps workers who, over several decades, have unearthed this historical site. However, the real value of the site is the splendid view into the Tellaro Cave.

Testa dell’Acqua

Not far from the former Castelluccio Feud, we find the rural village of Testa dell’Acqua, a district of Noto named after the spring found here, which used to feed the aqueduct of Noto Antica, located 3km from the village. Nowadays, Testa dell’Acqua is a lively and increasingly cosmopolitan village. In fact, for several years now, many foreigners have chosen this site as their summer or main residence, but also opened commercial activities, thanks to the presence of essential services such as a school, a post office, pharmacies and small stores that sell mainly local products of excellent quality. The nerve center of Testa dell’Acqua is the Church dedicated to Saint Isidore Agricola, the patron saint of the village, who is celebrated every second Sunday of September with sacred rites and traditional games.

Despite the fact that in the new millennium the countryside is being increasingly abandoned, the village of Testa dell’Acqua has seen, in recent years, an increase in the presence of youth. In fact, an ever-increasing number of young people have begun to devote themselves to agriculture, rediscovering autochthonous excellences that had been forgotten for years, such as ancient Sicilian wheats (Russello, Tumminia), but also the Hyblean saffron. Increasingly alive and buzzing, Testa dell’Acqua can be defined as the most booming rural district in the territory of Noto. A place where the old and the new coexist in peace and harmony, where the values of a united community that respects diversity make even the foreigner who has arrived from the farthest corners of the planet feel at home. Could it be that human warmth and the Sicilian friendliness are the main appeal of this area?