A dive into the Middle Ages

On a Sunday in February, with a biting cold that promised snow, we set off from Messina towards Palermo, to leave the motorway at the Patti junction and then continue to San Piero Patti, where at the Trattoria 'Da Luciana' we had booked a table for two, to enjoy the excellent menu that Luciana offers her customers every day. Luciana's offering is genuinely interesting. The typical flavours of the countryside (mushrooms above all) are skilfully prepared by the highly expert Luciana who, with practised yet still simple hands, gives her dishes an unmistakable taste that isn't easy to find elsewhere. Good food and good drink are the order of the day. The tasty starters, including the divine homemade jams and the excellent ricotta still warm, are a feast for the palate. What's more, all the mushroom-based preparations fill the nostrils, stirring the appetite even of the fussiest eaters.

And the first courses, which still keep all the flavour of 'village Sundays', those of homemade baked pasta, are the right continuation after such intriguing starters. The excellent mixed grill, the mushroom-stuffed pork pockets, the roast lamb, are the perfect complement to a lunch built on good taste, lightness and skilful cooking. The local wine is excellent and warms the heart right away with its fine ruby colour and the intense aroma that gets the appetite going. The value for money is truly excellent: you eat plenty, and well, for around 30.00 euros. How to get to Luciana's: from Messina or from Palermo, Patti exit. Then the provincial road 122 towards San Piero Patti, for about 18 km. Once in San Piero Patti, follow the signs for C/da Sambuco; after about 3.5 km you'll find 'Luciana'. (Enjoy your meal).

Trattoria Da Luciana - San Piero Patti 98068 (Messina) in C/da Sambuco, 1 - tel. 0941/660309 - 0941/661049. -- -- -- After the tasty lunch we came back down the same provincial road 122 and, once in Patti, took the motorway towards Palermo, exiting at the Brolo junction. Here stands Brolo Castle, typically medieval, privately owned but open to visitors. Suggestive is the tower of Brolo Castle, with its winding staircases and its imposing, crenellated appearance, evoking the typical feudal style of the 15th century. Inside, some typically medieval fittings (heavy wooden tables and chairs, shields, swords and armour) heighten even further the feeling of a journey back in time. Near the castle, with the Medievalia festival, the historical museum of punishment and torture is open. Entered from via del Castello no.

21, the museum can be visited every day from 9:30 to 13:00 and from 16:00 to 23:30. In winter the museum can be visited by appointment instead. The disturbing machines used for torture by the Holy Inquisition, and the explanations of how they worked, stir strong emotions and a touch of 'healthy fear'. -- Back home we were truly satisfied: for the excellent food, the beautiful places and the dive into the Middle Ages, just a step from home.