Car Hire Caltanissetta - Mini guide to Caltanissetta

Located in the region of Sicily, in the province of the same name, is the capital of that province, Caltanissetta. Peppered by small towns and villages and surrounded by lush rolling hills, Caltanissetta can be dated back to 406 BC. The name then was Fort Nicia, Castra Nicia. In 829 AD the population were Saracen, and the similarity of the name Nicia to the Arabic nissa (women) meant the name evolved into the Saracen name of Qalat al Nissa (‘Fort of the Women’; the Arabic ‘kal’ identifies the town as having a Saracen castle, Pietrarossa Castle, expanded during Norman times and the remains of which although still visible, are not always open to the public). It has since been Italicised to Caltanissetta. Sicania settlement at the site has been dated to 600 BC.

The cathedral, Santa Maria la Nova, was begun in 1539, and houses many historic works and art. A popular tourist attraction, it is only one of many churches in the city that deserve to be discovered and explored. It is built over the remains of an existing church, and is one of the only churches in town that have not changed over the years to lose its Middle Age appeal.

The Palazzo Moncada dates back to 1635 and together with the Palazzo Vescovile (‘The Bishop’s Palace) should be on the top of any visitor’s list. The church of Saint Sebastian goes back to the 1500s, and has a 1600s wooden statue of the saint himself. The ruins of the ‘Red Stone Castle’ can be seen atop a cliff, built by Arabs but destroyed in 1567 by an earthquake.

Each year on Good Friday is held the Passion Play, famous throughout Sicily and well worth a look-in. The old quarter boasts many great restaurants, and these too should be visited by any tourist (or local, for that matter!).

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