Last Updated on 10 February 2025
Introduction
In this article I show you what to see in Buscemi. It is a small town of just 1100 inhabitants and is located 761 meters from the sea. It is located in a beautiful natural setting, like that of other towns such as Scicli, Ragusa and Modica, among Mediterranean scrub and dry stone walls.
Its name seems to come from the Arabic Qal’at abî Śâmah which can be understood as the man’s castle from the neo. Castle referring precisely to that of Buscemi and man from the mole is a likely reference to Muhammad. In fact, it is said that he had a large mole on his back. However, it was the Byzantines who founded Buscemi, of whom little trace remains.
The town was later also conquered by the Arabs, who probably built the first castle, later modified by the Normans. The disastrous earthquake of 1693 destroyed the town, which was later rebuilt and gives us today many splendid examples of Baroque art.
What to see in Buscemi
Discovering the past – Farmer’s itinerary
I start immediately by talking about the Association for the Conservation of the Iblei Popular Culture. Thanks to them, in fact, the past of this village has been preserved, giving life to a very original itinerary. It would be nice to be able to use a time machine and go back to the past right? Well in Buscemi, even without it, you can relive the life of farmers a century ago.
Paying a ticket of only 5 Euros, a tour guide will take you around the country, making you take a real dive into the past. You will be able to enter an old oil mill dug into the rock, in the various artisan shops such as that of the blacksmith or carpenter and in the ancient peasant houses. A real pearl is the water mill, in excellent condition, which can also be visited by paying an extra 3 Euros.
To take advantage of the sightseeing tour go to 10 Liberty Street (Marked in red on the interactive map of Buscemi found in this article) and there you can arrange with the association the tour with the tour guide. In any case, it’s better to call or email first to arrange it so you don’t have to wait or avoid nasty surprises. +39 093 187 8528, +39333 483 8057, +39 338 241 5918. [email protected]. Hours: Mon – Fri 8-13, Sat 8-12, closed on Sundays.
The churches of Buscemi
mother church
This Baroque church, completed in 1769, is truly fascinating. Particularly striking is the facade and in general the view of the church from the outside. The staircase, the baroque façade, the bell tower, the typical soft yellow / white color of the Sicilian Baroque style and the small houses around, make everything truly special.
Church of Sant’Antonio da Padova
This church was rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake. Looking at it closely it seems to be missing something, in fact the facade was supposed to have 3 different levels in progressive height, but in the end only the first one was built. Precisely this characteristic, together with the small square in front of it and the houses that overlook it, makes this church truly suggestive. The interior also holds some graves of the Requesenz family, who once ruled the country.
Church of San Sebastiano
Ruins of the Requisenz castle
The castle is probably of Arab origin and has been modified over time. It is located on the top of the Monte hill and today only ruins remain, but it still preserves some internal rooms. If you go to Buscemi you cannot fail to come here, apart from the castle itself, here you have a wonderful view from above on Buscemi and the surrounding hills .
Interactive map of Buscemi – Points of interest in purple
To locate yourself once in the area, click on the enlarge symbol at the top right of the map.
Where to eat in Buscemi
The choice of restaurants in Buscemi is not very wide, the only real restaurant in the area is recommended, which fortunately is of excellent quality. This is the small restaurant Sorsi e Morsi (you can find it in the interactive map above) family-run and with home cooking. The prices are moderate and the portions are generous.
Typical dishes of Buscemi and surroundings
Here we produce the monti iblei DOP oil and also some very good wine . If you want to try other typical dishes of the area, here you can find an article on what to eat in Syracuse and surroundings .
Here instead you find the typical Sicilian dishes and products in general.
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