Gina isn’t exactly a normal welcome ambassador to a town. But then again, Castelbuono isn’t exactly a normal town. Unlike many hilltop – or hillside – towns in Sicily, Castelbuono is not just surviving, but thriving. So many similar towns are so desperate for people to move there that they offer houses for €1, as long as you’ll move in and fix it up. Well, this town doesn’t need to do that. For one thing, it has Gina.

Gina is a donkey, and she and her handler meet my group at the parking lot on the outskirts of the town. Even on a Saturday, they are working. This pair – and others like them – are the trash collectors of Castelbuono, part of a multi-phase plan by the town to address both the logistical problems of collecting waste in a hilly town of narrow roads and alleys and to deal with the issue of unemployment, especially for those with addiction issues. Together, human and donkey crews provide needed services, employ those most vulnerable in the community, and give the city one of its unique draws for tourists, who make the ninety minute or so drive from Palermo. (I am told the next phase of this highly successful program is training dog/human teams to deal with recycling, with a golden retriever being the prototype plastic collector.)

Castelbuono is named for its castle, literally “good castle.” It was built back in 1316 by the Ventimiglia family, whose relatives and acquaintances built homes around it on the side of San Pietro mountain. It is said that the last member of the Ventimiglia family lost the castle gambling in the 1920s – although a 600 year run is solid for a single family and a castle – and the town was so embarrassed that they joined together to purchase it and turn it into the city museum. Today, it houses several small art galleries.

However, the highlight of the castle is its gothic chapel on the top floor. It was added in 1683 during the midst of Spanish rule of Sicily, and is said to hold the skull of St. Anne.

It is a straight shot down a street lined with shops and restaurants from the castle to Castelbuono’s main square, and I happen to be here on a festival day. Apparently Castelbuono has a lot of festivals, meant to liven up the town and attract tourists, and this weekend is the flower festival, so floral artists decorate a line of beautiful square palates meant to imitate famous artwork or the town’s imagery. Added to this are floral displays all over, which makes an already cute town something even more special.

Of course, Castelbuono isn’t only for tourists, although tourism has fueled this town of 9,000 or so residents and its many improvement projects. The main square is crowded, with lines of people waiting to enter shops or cafes, and seemingly a large portion of the town headed into the square’s church for a wedding.

The square’s most famous and popular resident, by far, is Fiasconaro. This pastry paradise is famous for its Panforte, a Christmas cake, and people are already trying to get their orders in. (The shop sells a TON, even working with distributors in the U.S.) Unlike Panforte I had in Tuscany, this one is light and airy, and with free samples abundant, I am able to try one of the cake plain, as well as snag two more with pistachio cream and with chocolate spread, both obviously made in house. They are divine, especially the one with the pistachio cream.

Shops like this are part of the reason the town has remained vibrant, helping to provide jobs for locals as well as reasons for tourists to visit. Just down the street is a workshop where sisters Ambra and Debra create jewelry out of seeds and fruit pits. This business was started by the two in order to give them a reason to remain in Castelbuono after growing up here, and it has done well, even partnering with a similar community in Madagascar on a seed exchange program! I am able to make my own keychain, and while I have zero crafting skills, it’s a lot of fun.

Finally, it is time for lunch, and Michelin-listed Ristorante Nangalarruni is famous for its mushroom-oriented dishes. A platter of mushroom appetizers, mushroom pasta, and a delicious white wine later, I am stuffed, and ready for my siesta.

There are a lot of cute small towns in the world, and I’d guess a lot of them just in Sicily. Well, I came to this one, Castelbuono, and I can say with surety that it has got to be up there with any of them. If you find yourself with a day to spare in Palermo, it’s worth a visit!

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