Pantalica is a place where history blends with the harmony of nature in an atmosphere of peace and quiet. Over the centuries, the two rivers, the Calcinara to the north and the Anapo to the south, silent witnesses to human presence, have carved out the rock and created waterfalls, ravines and small lakes. The stages of humankind’s technical and cultural evolution survive in this unspoiled and primitive environment, which has preserved its identity over time.
A source of inspiration for intellectuals and travellers, such as the poet
Salvatore Quasimodo
or the art historian
Cesare Brandi
, the Pantalica reserve preserves a fascination unchanged over time, animated by mysteries and legends, such as Ovid’s tale about the origin of the
Anapo
river.
In the Anapo valley, where you can immediately smell the strong scent of orange blossom, the buzzing of flies and bumblebees breaks the silence, as does the rustling of lizards and iguanas crawling among the leaves. The sound of the river accompanies human footsteps along the paths, while hawks and buzzards soar above the peaks of Pantalica, almost as if guarding this place and observing its visitors from above.
The cultural stratifications of Pantalica are reflected in the extraordinary biodiversity of this valley, which explodes in a riot of colour and smell:
plane trees
, oleanders, poplars, willows, daisies, cyclamen and orchids silently populate this place.
