Are you ready to embark on a journey back to the Middle Ages for an exciting experience? Then you cannot miss the ruins of a unique Norman abbey nestled in the woods of Gratteri: the Abbey of San Giorgio.

This is one of the oldest historical monuments in the Madonite village, which can be reached by a half-hour walk through an unspoilt natural landscape. The rendezvous is at the ‘passo della Scala’ under the little church of the Crucifix, from where the path of the Via dei Premostratensi begins. The place is lonely, steeped in stories and legends, and conveys a superhuman peace. At the time of its foundation, the coenoby represented a strategic intersection point between two Roman roads much frequented by wayfarers and pilgrims.

Today, the site is a destination for many Italian and foreign visitors, who discover a milestone of the Norman Way in Sicily when exploring this surprising ruin. The monastery church of San Giorgio is a cultural asset of incomparable importance in the Sicilian landscape, as it is a source of history, art, spirituality and anthropology. Its origins date back to the 12th century, a very complex and intriguing moment in medieval history. The priory founded by the Normans and entrusted to the order of Premonstratensian monks constitutes a unicum in Sicily, only to be inherited in the 14th century by the Hospitallers of Jerusalem, better known as the Knights of Malta, who were its commenda for several centuries.

In conclusion, Gratteri represents a historical document of the Norman period, a fascinating place where facts that occurred blend with singular legends in a highly evocative scenario, worthy of being included among the Unesco sites of Sicily.