With just over four hundred inhabitants, Sclafani Bagni is the least populated village of both the Madonie area and the province of Palermo. The word “Bagni,” added in the 1950s to the name of the town, refers to the thermal springs located at the foot of the town. The first reliable evidence of the place dates back to 938 when, at the time of Muslim domination, the country was called “Isqulafmah.” Later inhabited by Normans, Swabians and Angions, Sclafani reached its peak during the Aragonese kingdom, when Count Matteo Sclafani built the outer walls (partly still existing) and strengthened the defensive structures of the castle. Hints of its past power remain today and its municipal territory is among the largest in the province of Palermo. Its perched position gives the village a wonderful view of the valley that leads from the Torto river to the Imera river. In addition to being part of the Madonie Park, some of the area is also part of the Favara and Granza natural reserve which intersects with the well known Via Francigena.