Cefalù: Old Town A-Wander

Leaving the duomo shortly after noon, we took a stroll through Old Town that led us to Osterio Magno on a nearby street.

Tradition has it that Osterio Magno was the first residence of King Roger II. Its name translates from Latin as “fortified palace” … built in the 13th century by a noble family as a winter residence. During the 1988 restoration of the palace, the foundations of a Hellenistic-Roman period (circa 270-30/31 BCE) cistern were uncovered … as well as artifacts from the same period, including a terracotta jar containing bronze coins from the late 4th century BCE.

There’s not much to see at Osterio Magno. And frankly, if it had not been included in the duomo admission, we would have skipped it entirely. As it is, we were in and out within 10 minutes … the information panels being in Italian, I took photos of them to translate later; we checked out the few display cases housing archaeological artifacts; and wrapped up the visit in the ground floor room from which one can view the cistern foundations.

As it was after 12:30p when we left Osterio Magno, we were ready for lunch. The streets, which had been quiet when we set out this morning, were now crowded with large groups of tour participants. Looking to avoid the more touristy establishments, we found a quiet place named Qualia just down the street a bit … in fact, we had the restaurant to ourselves for a while.

Michelin-recommended, Qualia has a limited menu (at least for lunch). Nonetheless, it is known for offering tasty dishes … some of which are prepared using ancient techniques.

Mui was hoping to start with the grilled octopus starter, but it wasn’t available today. I ordered the cappellacci pasta … named as such because its shape resembles a peasants' straw hat. Mui ordered the pork dish featuring the meat of a black pig found in Sicily’s Nebrodi mountain range. Both dishes were excellent … both were incredibly flavorful … both perfectly small-portioned.

By the time we were ready to leave Qualia, the downpour that had started earlier was down to a light, steady rain. Having opted to skip dessert at the restaurant, we headed to a nearby graniteria for a refreshing Sicilian specialty. I ordered the orange flavored granita … Mui went in a different direction and ordered the chocolate and Sicilian cassata flavors. Both were delicious … mine had the mouth feel of a granita; Mui’s was more like an icy gelato.

Using some trees on the piazza for protection from the rain, we enjoyed our granita in the shadow of Chiesa di Santo Stefano. It was at this 15th century church that worship of the “souls of the purgatory” was professed. Hence, it is known in the community as the “Church of the Purgatory. I especially liked the decorative staircase that leads up to the doors of the church.

Our meandering post-lunch walk, next took us to museum … coming up in the next post.Read more