CONSORZIO CHIARAMONTE – PROMOTION AND TERRITORIAL DEVELOPMENT

“Consorzio Chiaramonte” stems from the desire of the Chiaramonte Gulfi municipality, the olive oil and wine producers, the hoteliers and restaurant owners that bring forward the common idea to promote the excellence of the Chiaramonte’s wine and gastronomy. Just think of the “Tonda Iblea” that in this territory finds its natural declination. In 2013 the magazine “Best in Sicily” chose Chiaramonte as the best town for food and wine in Sicily. The very essence of Chiaramonte is built around food and two of the most famous authors Vincenzo Rabito and Serafino Amabile Guastella, wrote memorable pages of extraordinary realism about culinary traditions. Nowadays, thanks to the rediscover of the black pig, to the recognition of the extra virgin olive oil as a PDO, to the presence of several companies working in the field of preserved food and to wineries and olive oil producers, Chiaramonte is a productive district of inestimable value.

Perched on a hill and surrounded by a crown of mountains on its back, the town of Chiaramonte Gulfi rises at 668 meters above sea level and it’s called the “Balcony of Sicily”. The enchanting landscape fascinates every visitor, at the foot of Mount Arcibessi a wavy plain stretches away with its olive groves, vineyards and citrus groves furrowed by characteristic dry stone walls. Here the view stretches from the peaks of Mount Etna to the Mediterranean Sea. Historical reports tell us that the city was founded under the name of “Akrillai” from Syracuse in the seventh century B.C., then destroyed by the Carthaginians in 406 B.C. and then reconquered by the Romans which gave it the name of “Acrillae”. Some years later, during the conquest of the eastern part of the island, the Arab conquerors called it “Gulfi”. The oldest part of the city is located on top of the hill where once stood the castle of the Chiaramonte’s family until 1693. This part is now covered by the dense urban fabric of the St. John’s neighbourhood with its narrow and asymmetrical streets. The only remains of the defensive walls is the gate to the city that is called “Arco dell’Annunziata”. Culturally relevant are the Montesano Palace, a baroque palace and aristocratic residence of the eighteenth century, that is now home to Museums; the town Hall, an Art Nouveau building and the Villa Comunale, the public gardens with a charming view.