Enna · Monument
Ponte di Carlo V a Capodarso
A calcarenite bridge over the southern Imera river, commissioned under Charles V, for centuries considered one of the 'three wonders' of Sicily.
📍 Archaeology & nature
Monte Capodarso e Gole dell'Imera
Enna
A mountain with a long calcarenite cuesta along the southern Imera valley, with spectacular gorges, the Grotta delle Meraviglie and a Hellenised indigenous settlement.
Along the valley of the southern Imera, once the border between "Sicel" and "Sican" Sicily, and later between Sicilia Citra et Ultra Flumen salsum, Monte Capodarso is characterised by a long "cuesta" of ochre-coloured calcarenite that descends until it reaches the level of the river waters, which form spectacular gorges. Its geology ranges from the Tortonian to the full Pliocene, with karst features such as the Grotta delle Meraviglie (Cave of Wonders), and the remains of a Hellenised indigenous settlement. Among the remains are a stretch of defensive walls and, on the summit, a most mysterious stairway that plunges into the void.
Getting there
It is reached by following the Enna–Caltanissetta State Road as far as the Capodarso junction. By car/motorbike and by bicycle. Address: SS 122, Enna.
Access & visits
Booking is required by contacting the Reserve's Managing Authority. Suitable for families with children (a guide is required). Required equipment: comfortable clothing, backpack, trekking shoes, 1.5 l water bottle. Recommended equipment: rain poncho, binoculars, camera, trekking poles.
Where it is
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Nearby places
Enna · Archaeological site
Antica Fundrò
The never-excavated remains of an ancient settlement destroyed in the late 14th century, with its old abbey (later moved to Piazza) and mills in the stream valleys.
Enna · Nature reserve
Lago Pergusa
One of Italy's best-known nature reserves and a Biotope of Italy, an endorheic lake and important station for wild birdlife, with a Visitor Center at the entrance.