Page 184 - The Rough Guide of Sicily

East of Cefalù

To the east of Cefalù, the rugged Tyrrhenian coast is hugged by rail, road and

motorway, and is pretty built up for the most part. There are several resorts tucked
along the narrow strip of land between the Nébrodi mountains and the sea, and though
most of them are not worth going out of your way for – or indeed getting off your bus
or train – there are several spots – ranging from an unusual art hotel to the bustling

ceramics town of Santo Stefano di Camastra – where those travelling by car might
want to take a break for a stroll around.

Castel di Tusa

Some 25km east of Cefalù, the coastal village of CASTEL DI TUSA features the
remnants of a defensive castle and some good rocky beaches. In recent years,

however, the place has become rather better known for its modern art, thanks to the
efforts of Antonio Presti (born in Messina in 1957), who in the late 1980s and early
1990s invited artists from around the world to create a group of large-scale sculptures
along the river bed (fiumara) and valley of the Tusa River, which flows down from
the Nébrodi mountains just east of the village. After a protracted legal battle with the

authorities, the sculptures were formally inaugurated as the Fiumara d’Arte sculpture
park in 2006. You can pick up a brochure and map from Presti’s other venture, the
equally arresting L’Atelier Sul Mare “art hotel”, at Via Cesare Battisti 4, which itself
has become something of a tourist attraction: non-guests can be shown around the
rooms and grounds on guided tours (daily at noon; €5).

A TOUR OF THE FIUMARA D’ARTE

All the structures and sculptures along the Fiumara d’Arte lie south of Castel di
Tusa, and seeing the lot entails a 50km round trip by car through some magnificent

countryside. Follow the signposts and you can’t go far wrong, starting at the turn off
the SS113 for Pettineo, a couple of kilometres east of Castel di Tusa (Santo
Stefano/Messina direction). One of the earliest commissions – La Materia Poteva
Non Esserci, resembling two giant hands joined in prayer – comes almost
immediately into view, standing right under the motorway viaduct. It’s 6km further
up the valley to Pettineo itself, a gorgeous little village with the shards of a ruined
castle at its highest point and a couple of bars in the old centre for drinks. More

signs then direct you another 6km up the nearby mountain to the precariously located
village of Motta d’Affermo for Energia Mediterranea – a graceful concrete
curving wave in mottled blue astride a dusty hilltop. Beyond lies the dramatic cliff-
top pyramid that is 38° Parallelo (also known as La Piramide), after which you
backtrack to Pettineo. There’s a further cluster of works a twisting 10km south of