Tucked away in the province of Enna, between the Nebrodi and Madonie mountains in the heart of inland Sicily, lies a village that borders Gangi (in the province of Palermo) and Nicosia (in the province of Enna). Its name is Sperlinga, home to fewer than 700 residents. The name – Sperrënga in Gallo-Sicilian and Spilliňga in Sicilian – derives from the Greek spelonca, meaning “cave.” 

And fittingly so: the village, recognised among Italy’s Most Beautiful Villages and often described as a “royal rock-hewn dwelling,” is carved into an enormous sedimentary outcrop. The surrounding area is dotted with numerous caves dug directly into the soft sandstone.