Petralia Sottana is an elegant village on the southern side of the upper Madonie, not far from its twin city Petralia Soprana. Some archaeological finds indicate settlement of the area in the third millennium BC. During the Byzantine and Arab dominations, Petralia also constructed a series of castles and fortifications and underwent dense agricultural and urban development. Over the centuries the town went through countless dominations and changes. It was in the seventeenth century that, during a phase of intense development and thanks to the influx of artistic and artisan workers, Petralia Sottana took the form that can still be admired today: beautiful baroque churches, alleys, arcades, stairways, fountains, and the majestic Chiesa Madre (Mother church) overlooking the village. In Petralia it is possible to walk through the historic center following the Urban Geological Route, an original path that brings attention to fossils, ruins, and notable geological impressions around town.