Pasticceria Maria Grammatico, Erice

​In the small and evocative medieval village of Erice, northwestern part of Sicily, there is a special woman, whose story has really excited me and, perhaps even more, her rotten fruit, the genovese and the granites.
Maria Grammatico was orphaned by her father when she was 11 years old, she was sent to the cloistered convent where she discovered a world of hard work.
After spending 15 years in the Convent of San Carlo and having made his own convent pastry art he decided to open a small shop in which to revive all the knowledge acquired.
And so, thanks to his willingness to experiment and create, his small workshop has become a cornerstone of the Eepinine and Trapanese tradition.

At Erice, almond paste treats have long been the main source of income for the lay sisters of the Convent of San Carlo, who here cared for girls and children from distressed families and if these delicacies have come to this day the credit lies with women like Maria Grammatico who grew up in that convent and , come out, they continued to practice their art.
You may be in a row with her, but believe me, it's worth it.

​I was lucky enough to be almost alone in the bakery and to catch a glimpse of her at work in her workshop.
Don't miss the marten fruit and the granites, you can lose your head!

​This is one of the reasons why if you are planning a trip to northwestern Sicily you should not forget a stop in Erice, a day is enough to discover all its small picturesque corners, take a look at the local craft shops and admire the surrounding scenery.
Let me say that the panoramic view from an altitude of 750 meters with nothing around can be truly amazing! You can peer through a distant horizon, all the way to the salt flats of Marsala and the Egadi Islands.