3 days – programme for individuals         Prices from     €  98.50

Day 1
Leave Palermo and the sea and wind up through the Conca d’Oro on a road that passes through luxuriant countryside delimited by the towns of Monreale and Altofonte. In just a few minutes you will reach Portella della Paglia. You’re now at the top and suddenly the wide-open Valle dello Jato, with its intense green countryside and light blue sky, will appear before your eyes. On the right are the peaks of Pizzo Mirabella, Monte Dammusi, Monte Signora and Monte della Fiera, down below, you will be able to see Lake Poma and on the left of the wide valley, at the foot of Monte Jato, are the small rural towns of San Giuseppe Jato and San Cipirello.
This territory will allow you to experience the perfect mix of nature, history and gastronomy.
Discovering the enchanting places in this area is facilitated by the presence of 22 Historic and Naturalistic Signposted Routes put together by the Province of Palermo’s Tourist Board. At 850 m above sea level, on the slightly sloping summit of Monte Jato, you will find the interesting archaeological site of the ancient Laitai. The town was lived in continually from the 9^th Century BC to 1246 and can be reached on foot by one of the several easy paths: by the “Scala di Ferro”, which takes you through a forest path and a Mediaeval mule path; by the “Camposanto Vecchio”, which goes up a mule path in the forest and through open fields; by the “Militi”, on a path through open fields near the ancient city. The views while you walk through the ruins of the city are wonderful and of great note in the site are the Temple of Aphrodite, the Theatre, the Agora and the “Casa a Peristilio”. In San Giuseppe Jato, at the Bar and Confectionary Cerniglia, you will be offered a tasty ricotta cannolo, a Sicilian speciality that will be made for you on the spot so you can taste it at its best.  At Girolamo Gelsi’s Organic Farm, in contrada Mortilli, on the other side of the River Jato, you will have the opportunity to buy oil and fresh fruit and vegetables picked that morning. In the immediate vicinity is the Mulino del Principe, a water mill for grinding grain dating back to the 1700s. It is one of the best conserved productive buildings remaining in the Valle dello Jato. For dinner and accommodation you can choose between the Agriturismo Villa Mirto, the Agriturismo” Portella della Ginestra”, owned by “Coop. Placido Rizzotto-Libera Terra”, both of which are just a few minutes’ drive from San Giuseppe Jato, or the Agriturismo Casale dello Jato, near San Ciprello.

Day 2   The second day will be dedicated to exploring the territory further. There are numerous mills and farmhouses that hark back to the old agricultural traditions of the Valle.  We would advise an easy route that takes about 45 minutes following a path and a dirt road. Leave your car at the “Chiusa” car park and head down through the fields towards the 17th Century paper mill. From here you can follow the canal until you get to the Mulino della Chiusa. Being a circuitry route, you can get back to the car park by following the Fosso della Procura.
If you are keen to explore further you can leave the car park at Chiusi once more and set off on another easy route that takes about 90 minutes. The dirt road passes alongside fields that have recently been planted with chestnut and cherry trees. You will soon come to an important travertine formation full of fossils, at the top of which are the ruins of the Masseria della Procura, an old tollhouse of the Archbishop of Monreale. Then, climbing a little further, you can follow the route of the Regia Trazzera Cannavera before turning right into a path that will take you to some rapids which are full of water even during the summer. Continuing through the fields and along the foothills of Monte Dammusi you will come to the little church of the Madonna della Provvidenza, destination of an annual procession. You will then head back to Chiusa on a track that follows an aqueduct on the ridge of Feotto. If you prefer, you can hire an environmental guide from Coop. Artemisia for your walk. We recommend lunch at the restaurant “Apud Jatum” in San Cipirello.
In the afternoon you can visit the small but interesting Museo dello Jato at San Cipirello. 
Dinner and lodging in the same structure as the first night.

Day 3
Your third day can be dedicated to a visit of some of the many vineyards in the area. The entire Valle dello Jato is given over to the production of wine. The improvement of native grape varieties and the planting of some of the best international grape varieties have guaranteed the production of wines that are not only innovative, and of great quality and structure but which also succeed in expressing all the typical characteristics of the zone of production. From among the great number of vineyards in the Valle we recommend “Alto Belice”, “Calatrasi” “Feotto dello Jato” and “Tamburello”.  These modern companies employ both nationally and internationally trained oenologists so as to guarantee the production of top quality wines.
You will be able to learn about the fascinating world of viticulture and taste and buy some of their best wines.

3 days / 2 nights  (minimum 2 people)   Price in Euro,  from January 2006 to March 2007