The Nebrodi Mountains: the very name eludes to a sort o mysterious evocative force, a whisper of woods, a trickle o: spring waters - evoking misty, shadowy atmospheres that awaker the senses, all found within the landscapes and wildlife of the Park, a surprising contrast to images that depict Sicily as arid and burnt by the sun. Actually the name Nebrodi comes from the Greek word nebròs meaning fawn, and these mountains were indeed populated by fawns, roe deer and fallow deer, as well as wolves and bears, until not too long ago. Today, this fairy-tale fauna has disappeared, but the species of rarc animals stealthily scrambling in the brushwood are still many: martens weasels, porcupines, dormice, foxes, snakes, hares and wild cats.

The streams that flow along the fiumare are totally dry in summer but in winter they turn into rushing and irregular waterways: "... the rains drive the torrents mad and drown human beings and beasts, where just two weeks before they were both dying of thirst", this is how Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa describes the phenomenon in The Leopard and in those two lines, in this atrocious contrast, he enshrines his pessimistic view of Sicilian nature, always considered as an enemy and never as a friend to man. Yet, if you admire the fiumare from the bottom or from one of the tortuous and scenic roads running along them, the scenery that appears is truly magnificent and fascinating.

Indeed one of them, the fiumara of Castel di Tusa, known today as Fiumara d arte, has been chosen by a creative and munificent local entrepreneur for the setting of an outdoor exhibition of several interesting monumental art works by contemporary artists. The untouched nature of the Park is certainly the main feature of this area of Sicily, with its Bosco della tassita, a wood where the rare yew grows, a conifer that can live up to two thousand years; the Rocche del Crasto, sheer rock faces where birds of prey nest; the Biviere di Cesarò, whose waters turn into a reddish colour in the summertime. But that is not all: numerous villages of various sizes - some of them absolutely charming - are scattered throughout the area, offering visitors a look at rural mountain civilisation which is unspoilt, rich in traditions and values that are evident in its folklore, gastronomy, and crafts. Almost anywhere in Galati Mamertino, Floresta, Capizzi, Militello Rosmarino, Mistretta, San Marco d'Alunzio you can buy handmade lace and embroidery, rattan or reed baskets of all shapes and sizes, straw stools and wrought iron objects, while in Alcara Li Fusi they still make multicoloured mats, rugs and blankets with the so-called pizzàri i.e. handlooms. In San Fratello, the week before Easter, the Besta dei Giudei ("Feast of the Jews") is celebrated: hundreds of men dressed in multicoloured costumes, unceasingly disturb the Holy Week rites with trumpets and shrieks. In the surrounding woods you are likely to come across herds of "sanfratellani" horses, a particularly worthy indigenous breed living in the wild.

Delicious cheese can be tasted at higher altitudes where, thanks to the sweeping pastures, sheep are bred in the most archaic and natural ways. Sausages and salami from S. Angelo di Brolo, with their peculiar country taste are a rare delicacy; while almond and nut pastries, skilfully made according to ancient recipes are, with all the variations from one village to the other, the speciality of the area. But the most intriguing aspect of the Nebrodis' culinary tradition is certainly the abundant use of wild vegetables: chicory, wild fennel, senapa asparagus cardoons an all kinds of mushrooms

These ingredients cooked in a hundred different ways and served asasidedish, main course, soup, or pasta sauce, bring back memories of tastes and sensations longforgotten. Lots of castles and towers on the mountain slopes and down by the coast, mostly dating from the period of Norman domination, testify an important historical human presence, together with churches and other monuments. Among them, the Basilian monastery of San Filippo di Fragalà stands out because of its incomparable monastic atmosphere, with a threeapse church showing traces of great Byzantine frescoes on the walls. Built on the slope of a mountain immediately after the Norman conquest of Sicily; it is the most important monument in the Nebrodi region, at a short distance from Frazzanò, isolated and immersed in greenery. The Nebrodi Mountains Regional Park reaches the coast with itsspurs, and as already said, it reaches the sea with the fiumare. Here, close to the cane-brakes growing freely on the sand and on the white-pebble beaches, some important seaside villages are located, such as Sant'Agata di Militello, Caronia, Capo d'Orlando, Gioiosa Marea, Patti, Tindari, all rich in history, monuments and archaeological findings, some of them recently excavated.

And, last but not least, Santo Stefano di Camastra, famous for its long and illustrious tradition in ceramic works - mostly home-ware -typical of the ancient rural world, such as the quartare, for carrying and storing water; the giare, where olive oil was stored; the lemmi, i.e. big soup tureens; jugs; the huge dishes where tomato extract is dried under the sun; the pigne (pine-cone shaped objects) that were attributed a propitiatory value by popular belief; plus the lumere of Sant'Antonio, oil-lamps with thirteen burners; the heads; the religious tiles or entire floorings; all these are exhibited along the streets by shop-keepers and craftsmen in a lively and uninterrupted outdoor market.

The Nebrodi mountain area, named by the Arabs "an island in the island" due to its geological and morphological characteristics and vegetation, differs from all other Sicilian territories, appearing as a chain full of rhythm, colour, and harmony. Rounded peaks, smooth slopes, high plateaux, and broad and regular valleys are the prevailing morphological features of the Nebrodi chain.

But, as you move towards the Peloritani Mountains, the landscape becomes more varied and uneven, forming spectacular and dramatic shapes where the major calcareous outcrops are. Here the skyline becomes irregular and bizarre, the walls become steep, the water streams run inside narrow valleys deeply set in the rock, as in the case of the torrents Rosmarino, Favara, Fitalia, Tortorici, Roccella. But the most fascinating view is the one offered by the impressive rocky bulwarks rising up behind Alcara Li Fusi up to 1315 m a.s.l., once the undisputed domain of eagles and griffin-vultures. The Nebrodi system stretches over 70 km in the east-west direction, constantly reaching high altitudes as the crow flies. The Nebrodi Regional Park, established on August 4, 1993, is the most recent of the three Regional Parks to be created in Sicily; it is also the most densely populated (approx. 200,000 inhabitants) and the largest one (approx. 85,000 ha). The following four different areas have been distinguished within its perimeter, according to the environmental values to protect and to the activities allowed within it:

Area A (26,500 ha), special reserve. It includes all beech woods, a rare population of badgers, the most important wetlands, and some unique rock formations. Hiking, ski-mountaineering and skitrekking, cross-country ski racing, gathering mushrooms other brushwood foods, are among the activities allowed. No motor vehicles are allowed inside the Park, and it is forbidden to take plants or cuttings away, to remove or damage rocks and fossils, to litter, and to practise sports that can jeopardise the integrity of the environment.

Area B (44,500 ha), general reserve. This includes all the remaining woods of cerris, cork oak, holm oak, and of other minor species. The activities listed in Area A plus the ordinary agricultural, wood and sheep-farming activities are allowed. New buildings and works that may permanently modify the territory are forbidden.

Area C (500 ha), protected area, where the activities aiming at enhancing the Park - such as facilities for tourism and recreation, for cultural and sporting events and activities - are allowed.

Area D (13,000 ha), controlled area, where all activities are allowed, save for those incompatible with the purposes of the Park.