Acireale Destination in Sicily · Province of Catania

Acireale is a baroque town on the Cyclops Riviera on Sicily's east coast, on the southern slopes of Etna and facing the Ionian Sea. About 50,000 people live in the town in the Catania metropolitan area, which is also called the “city of a hundred bells” because of its many churches. It is best known for its churches and its carnival.

What is there to see in Acireale?

The center is Piazza Duomo, with the cathedral, dedicated to the Annunciation, and the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, raised to a minor basilica in 1933. The Basilica of San Sebastiano is regarded as a major work of Sicilian baroque; much of the town was rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake in southeastern Sicily. Palazzo Musmeci from the 18th century and the Pinacoteca Zelantea complete the picture.

Green space and views come from Villa Belvedere and the park of the Santa Venera thermal baths, which opened in 1873. The La Timpa nature reserve is a cliff of volcanic rock rising 80 to 150 meters above the sea. The municipality includes coastal hamlets such as Santa Maria la Scala, Santa Caterina and Santa Tecla.

What is the carnival of Acireale like?

The Acireale carnival is regarded as the finest in Sicily. It is first documented in a payment order of 1594. The parade shows allegorical floats and flower floats, which have been covered in fresh blooms since 1930. It runs along Corso Italia, Corso Savoia and Corso Umberto to the three squares Piazza Duomo, Piazza Indirizzo and Piazza Porta Gusmana. The dates change every year and are published by the town.

What else is typical of Acireale?

Acireale keeps up the Sicilian puppet theater tradition, the Opera dei Pupi, which UNESCO recognizes as intangible cultural heritage. Etna lemons have carried the EU protected geographical indication (PGI) since November 2020. The town's name recalls the legend of Aci and Galatea; it received its present name from King Philip IV of Spain in 1642.