Monte Scuderi, Mountain peak in Peloritani range, Sicily, Italy.

Monte Scuderi is a peak in the Peloritani range in northeastern Sicily with a flat rocky summit. The top provides views across to both the Tyrrhenian and Ionian seas on opposite sides.

Traces of ancient use remain on the flat summit: piles of stones, terracotta roof tiles and pottery shards, and several neviere, pits where snow was packed to make ice that was then sold. The summit is also dug over by illegal treasure hunters searching for coins and valuables. A legend recorded by Father Serafino of Alì tells of a cave beneath the peak holding brigands' treasure, sought in 1612 by men sent by Ottoman sultan Ahmed I, most of whom died when the cave collapsed.

A Capuchin friar from Alì, Father Serafino, recorded that the mountain was once called Monte Sparviero, because the lateral spurs of the summit recalled the wings of a sparrowhawk. Local tradition also holds that a cave beneath the summit hides a brigands' treasure, sought in 1612 by men sent by Ottoman sultan Ahmed I, most of whom died when the cave collapsed.

Several hiking routes lead to the summit from different starting towns like Itala and Alì, with paths of varying difficulty. It helps to check which route you plan to take, as the trails differ quite a bit in what they demand.

A geological crack in the mountain rock is connected by locals to a religious event that lives on in local tradition. This link shows how a natural feature becomes part of the stories people tell about their mountain.