An archaeological visit to Aragona and Mussomeli

Visit by the Archeoclub of Ragusa to Aragona to see the phenomenon of the maccalube, suggestive hydro-clay springs that come out of the subsoil like tiny volcanoes erupting carbon dioxide, nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon monoxide, helium and clay; they are very suggestive miniature volcanoes, with an eruptive cone, sometimes of considerable height, and can produce explosions caused by the mixture of methane and oxygen, known as firedamp.

The phenomenon can be traced to the presence underground of a vast clay basin located at a depth of about 12 km; the overturning of the ground is announced and accompanied by loud booms and the clay material is hurled dozens of metres high, until it takes on the typical mushroom shape of nuclear explosions, all without any danger - worth visiting - The visit continues at the Castle of Mussomeli, from the first half of the 14th century, raised on a gigantic limestone rock about 80 metres high, completely isolated from the surrounding hills, very steep on the north-east side and sheer on the south-west, forming the mighty natural base of the castle, built with stone quarried from the rock itself. The castle, variously articulated, is defended by a wall on the north-east front, the only accessible one.

After passing through the first portal the stables appear; continuing uphill you reach the second wall, in which a further access door opens, also pointed like the previous one, with noble coats of arms at the top and on the sides; inside it encloses a large seven-sided polygonal courtyard overlooked by the castle's residential rooms; after a short vestibule, through a moulded pointed portal, you enter the - Sala dei Baroni - a large hall with two mullioned windows. A triangular space leads into the following rooms, and large halls with ribbed cross vaults, typical of Swabian architecture. Coming out into the courtyard you can see the remains of the so-called - keep - and the chapel with an elegant pointed stone portal, similar to the one that leads into the great Sala dei Baroni; deep arrow slits face the surrounding valley.

Lunch takes place in Campofranco, a pleasant village very close by, at the Trattoria da Peppino, interesting for the local specialities; the afternoon is dedicated to visiting the old churches of Campofranco, in particular that of the Madonna dell'Hodighitria, accompanied for the occasion by the President of the local Archeoclub, Prof. Giuseppe Testa. ENZO PIAZZESE - TOURIST GUIDE IN SICILY - 348.2229891