An eccentric Collection in a unique location, populated by Thousands of Teads carved into Rocks, branches and olive tree trunks.
A place away from mass tourism, magical and a little melancholic – ideal if you love Contemporary Art, Folk Art, or simply strange and authentic places.
The Enchanted Castle of Sciacca is one of the most fascinating and unusual places in Sicily: it is not a real castle but a unique open-air museum, created by an outsider artist: Filippo Bentivegna.
Heads carved and chiseled into the rock by an artist gifted with immense creative ability, one of the greatest exponents of Art Brut or Outside Art in terms of free or self-taught art.
About 3,000 sculptures, including portraits of famous people, self-portraits and fantastic figures, colored in red and black.
A Story of Suffering
Filippo Bentivegna was born in Sciacca at the end of the 19th century and moved to the United States with his family at an early age. In New York, he worked extensively and for a long time for a railway company.
His life changed when he fell in love with a beautiful young girl. One day, a man beat him repeatedly to kill him and thus avoid the marriage.
After a long period in a coma, he began suffering from amnesia and paranoia.
Unable to work anymore, he decided to return to Sicily, where, with his savings, he purchased a large plot of land to build his home.
From that moment on, far from people, he began his life as a hermit.
He spent decades carving Thousands of Heads out of living rock, tree trunks, and blocks of tuff.
Stylized faces, often primitive and disturbing: men, women, children, mythical figures, with mysterious expressions, wide eyes, and enigmatic smiles.
The Artist considered them his “subjects” and spoke to them as if in a silent, personal kingdom.
What to see
A Garden immersed in the Sicilian countryside with thousands of heads scattered among olive and almond trees and dirt paths.
A surreal and slightly creepy, yet poetic atmosphere: a mix of naive art, outsider art and creative madness.
Many heads are stacked or nestled in the trees, creating a hypnotic effect.
Perfect for unusual photos and to reflect on Human Creativity bordering on Madness.
A very evocative place where Filippo Bentivegna was the King of his Enchanted Castle as revenge for his negative American experience.
If you have a sensitive soul, you can empathize with him and imagine the emotions that poor man must have felt. Otherwise, you only see stones representing human faces.
The Art Brut Museum in Lausanne has added numerous works by Filippo Bentivegna to its permanent collection.
The Enchanted Castle is open daily
Opening hours vary depending on the season: from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM in winter; from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM in summer.
The visit lasts approximately 50 or 60 minutes with a modest ticket (children are free).
Enchanted Castle
Via Filippo Bentivegna 16
Sciacca (Agrigento)
Sicily – Italy
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