Things to Do in Caltagirone

Caltagirone is Sicily's ceramics town, and its best-known sight is functional rather than decorative: the Scala di Santa Maria del Monte, a staircase of over 140 steps, each riser faced with a different hand-painted tile. Workshops around town sell and teach the craft directly, which is worth more than a market-stall version of the same pots. It's an inland stop, roughly 35 minutes from Piazza Armerina, and works well as a half-day paired with the Roman villa rather than a full day alone.