Pina, Saro and I start the day with a Granita and brioche, before a road trip to Caltagirone.

The city has been long famous for the production of pottery particularly maiolica and terracotta wares . Nowadays the production is more and more oriented to artistic production of ceramics and terra-cotta sculptures. Other activities are mainly related to agriculture (production of grapes, olives and peaches).
 
The city's name derives from the Arabic "qal'at-al-jarar" ("Castle of pottery jars") - a name that attests to the antiquity of the pottery works which are still thriving. It has been inhabited since prehistoric times, as shown by the presence of two necropolises dating from the second millennium BC and by numerous other archaeological finds. It was later inhabited by the Sicels, pre-Roman population.The Arabs built a castle here that in 1030 was attacked by Ligurian troops under the Byzantine general George Maniakes, who have left traces of Ligurian language in the current dialect. The city flourished under the Norman and Hohenstaufen domination, becoming a renowned centre for production of ceramics.The city was almost completely destroyed by the 1693 earthquake earthquake. Many public and private buildings have then been reconstructed in Baroque style . 

 Whilst in Caltagirone we climbed the colourful Maiolica tiles which decorate 142 steps of the main landmark of the city. This monumental Staircase of Santa Maria del Monte, built from 1608 in the old part of the town. The peculiarity is that each step is decorated with different hand-decorated ceramics, using styles and figures derived from the millennial tradition of pottery making. Once a year, on and around the day of the city's patron saint, Saint James and on the 25th of July, the staircase is illuminated with candles of different colours arranged in order to reconstruct an artistic drawing of several tens of meters. I couldn't imagine taking my groceries up theses stairs.
 
We visited the Church San Francesco d'Assisi (1236) rebuilt in Baroque style after 1693. The façade has two orders with marine symbols and a statue of the Immaculate. The dome is unfinished.

We visited the Bourbon Prison, which is now an interesting museum .

We returned in the early afternoon to join Zia Graziella for lunch. After lunc I packed my bags as I was to spend a week at my cousin Fiorella and her husband Nuccio's house in Zafferana.

For dinner I joined Fiorella and Nuccio's friends, that I had met at Stazzo for a Pizza, followed by a gelato. The best thing about the Pizzas in Sicily is that they are thinned base and delicious toppings.

Fiorella showed me to what was to be my room for the week. It was spacious bedroom and due to being up in Zafferana Etnea it was much cooler.