Three days, a thousand flavours: our weekend at the 18th Madonie Flavours Festival

Once upon a time there was the Chestnut Fair. Then, year after year, this small village event grew into one of the most loved celebrations in the Madonie Park, so much so that it earned a new name, one able to tell the whole richness of the territory. Today the Festa dei Sapori Madoniti d'Autunno reaches its eighteenth edition and returns to Petralia Sottana, a Touring Club Italiano Orange Flag village, from 23 to 25 October 2026.

This year we suggest experiencing it differently: not as a visit of a few hours, but as a real autumn weekend, one day at a time.

Friday: arrival and a first taste
Arrive in the afternoon, drop your bags in your room and walk down into the village as the stalls open and the first lights come on in the historic centre. It's the perfect moment for a first look around: smell, explore, and make a mental note of what to taste over the next days. For dinner, nothing beats a hot pizza at our pizzeria, to start the weekend with the taste of Madonie flours and produce.

Saturday: the woods, then the square
Saturday is the right day to leave the village and head up into the woods. The excursions organised during the Festival lead you through the autumn landscapes of the Park, right in mushroom season, the true stars of this edition. Back in the village, cooking shows and taste workshops await, where chefs and producers explain how a traditional dish comes to life. In the evening, music and crowded squares: Petralia Sottana becomes one big open-air living room.

Sunday: slowly, the mountain way
The last morning is for taking things easy. A stroll among the churches and alleys of the centre, perhaps joining one of the guided tours of the village's artistic heritage, and then a final round of the stalls to take home cheeses, cured meats, honey and sweets. Before leaving, treat yourself to lunch at our restaurant: Madonie cuisine, enjoyed at the table, is the best way to say goodbye to the Festival.

Sleeping inside history
Il Castello is the result of a careful restoration that respected the unique archaeological site on which it stands. Staying here during the Festival means having everything within walking distance and, in the evening, finding the silence and charm of a place with centuries of history to tell.

Your weekend starts here
Choose your dates and your room, and get ready to experience the Madonie autumn with all your senses: book on our online booking system.