Camporeale: wine, woodland and ancient roots in western Sicily

Set among rolling hills in the upper Belice valley, where the provinces of Palermo, Trapani and Agrigento meet, Camporeale has built its modern reputation on the vine. Its vineyards form part of a respected Sicilian wine country, celebrated each year at the Camporeale Days, a festival of tastings, walks and bicycle rides among the rows.

A land of vines

Wine and olive oil are the lifeblood of this small farming town of around 2,500 people, which has also long been known for its woodworking, earning it the nickname of the town of wood and wine. The surrounding countryside, fragrant with vines and olives, rewards slow exploration.

Echoes of antiquity

People have lived on these slopes for thousands of years. Some scholars place the ancient city of Makella, mentioned by classical writers, somewhere in the Valdibella district nearby, and the hills around bear traces of Greek and Roman times. Not far off rise the archaeological heights of Monte Jato and Monte Maranfusa, while the Arab-Norman bridge of Calatrasi spans the Belice towards neighbouring Roccamena.

How to get there

Camporeale sits at about 440 metres roughly thirty-five kilometres south-west of Palermo, close to the town of Alcamo and within reach of the temples of Segesta.