Things to do in Aci Sant'Antonio Italy – what to see attractions and activities

The Church of St. Michael the Archangel was built as early as 1540; the earthquake of 1693 destroyed it and was then rebuilt in the 18th century. The church became a parish in 1922, inside it we find a nave with four side altars that, subsequently, became five. Currently we can admire the plaster statue of the Virgin.

The church of Saint Anthony and Consolation is entirely frescoed with figures of Saints and scenes from the New Testament. The first construction of the building dates back to the period around the 11th and 12th century AD and was modified in the 18th century. Inside we can find several paintings and statues among which the most important are: the stoning of Saint Stephen Protomartyr and the statue of the Protomartyr. The church is one of the oldest in the area.

The Church dedicated to Our Lady of the Address is a construction of the fifteenth century. Outside the church there is a staircase, the stone portal on the side facade, worked with ornamental reliefs and the bell that was built in 1817. Instead, inside there are three naves enriched by refined decorations and works of high artistic value.

It was designed by Francesco Battaglia in 1730, who in those years took care of rebuilding Catania. The unique Byzantine Arabic style is noticeable in colors and shape. The garden once stretched around the whole building. Today it is a subsidiary of the Parish Mother Sanctuary Maria SS.ma della Catena.

The Town Hall and former Convent of Saint Anthony of Padua was built in 1636 in Aci Catena. It is one of the most beautiful and elegant buildings to which the Catenotes contributed. The staircase gives an extreme harmony to the whole building and inside there are most of the best works in the country. The cloister is decorated in the lunettes with frescoes depicting the life and works of the Franciscan Saints. It is among the most visited and best preserved monuments in the city.

The Sanctuary has a very elegant architecture. Interesting to see are the apse, the transept, the dome and the two side chapels. Also worth admiring are the frescoes, in particular the icon of the Madonna, painted on stone, dating back to the 16th century. The Madonna looks majestic thanks to some details: a golden mantle surmounted by a precious crown and the child who wears in her arms that makes this icon a real work of art.

The hermitage of Sant'Anna, was founded in 1751, by Friar Rosario Campione. The hermitage is located close to a hill from which you can admire a splendid panorama of the Ionian coast. The original plant was composed of a small church with two small rooms immersed in the vegetation to which later added a large cistern for the collection of water. In 1756, the cells and the chapel were added. Among the works in the church you can admire the Madonna with the Child and Saint Anne. Inside, you can observe the cloister and the Mediterranean garden.

The church of San Giuseppe was built above the old one with the same name at the end of the '600. It was built on three columns that incorporate and move vertically the wall surface. The interior is the one built in the 19th century.

Built in Baroque style, the Musmeci Palace is located in the historic part of the city. The facade, full of balconies, at the height of the cornice has a series of white stone windows that give the decorative touch. Inside you can see the historic decor and the courtyard with statues. In 1806 the palace was the residence of King Ferdinand.

The castle, built at the end of the 19th century, consists of battlements and ogival arches of neo-Gothic style. Inside there is an elegant chapel with frescoes. Outside it is preceded by a beautiful garden full of trees and flowers.

The Church of Santa Maria Dell'Odigitria was built on the ruins of the oratory, after the earthquake of 1693. It is an autonomous parish and is dedicated to Our Lady of Odigitria, the patroness of Sicily. Inside we find the polychrome dome and the most interesting canvas, that of the “Epiphany”.

The Roman Baths of San Venera al Pozzo are located in Acireale. Since ancient times, the territory has been known for the conspicuous presence of beneficial waters coming from springs including sulphurous. The archaeological site consists of two covered rooms. The oldest of the findings dates back to a period between the first and second century AD.

Built on the original church of S. Sebastiano, the structure of San Antonio di Padua was built after the earthquake of 1693. The Gothic style portal is that of the '400 of the first original church. It is the oldest church in the city as well as the only one dating back to the period of Aquilia Nuova.

The Basilica of San Sebastiano was completed in 1644. The façade is built in Baroque style preceded by a balustrade crowned with statues. Inside you can visit the frescoes by Pietro Paolo Vasta and also the eighteenth-century danger for the procession of the saint.

The Palazzo di Città is the monument of Acireale, represents the architectural quality over 200m of extension in Baroque style. The façade is made elegant by the sculptures, which are the elements saved from the original construction. Above the portal of the building you can see the national coat of arms of the municipality. Since 1833, the palace has become the official seat of the Academy of Sciences, Letters and Fine Arts of Zealans and Daphnics.

One of the oldest churches in the area, the sources tell us that it dates back to 1531. From 1603 it was transformed from Newsstand to Church, the year in which the roof was also realized. He owns an ancient crucifix dating back to 1693. It is of historical, religious and artistic importance. For years now the church has been transformed into an ordeal for the Easter holidays.

The Cathedral was built in 1872. Before it became a cathedral, it was a church. It took its name from the altar dedicated to the Virgin Annunziata. The Corinthian settlers and the great Baroque portal make this cathedral a unitary complex. The most beautiful part of the cathedral's composite is the above Baroque newsstand with statues.

The Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul was built in 1550 in Baroque style and with a single nave interior. The 1693 earthquake damaged the building, making the walls unsafe. The restoration ended in 1740 creating three alternative doors to binate columns in addition to the white stone facade. The paintings that can be found inside belong to Giacinto Platania, to Matteo Ragonisi as well as to other artists. The basilica is very well known for two sculptures, the Christ at the column and the dead Christ.

The church has an architecture from the 18th century, but the construction dates back to the '500. It strikes the loggia of the bell tower open on all its sides; the construction is formed of white and lava stones. Inside it we can find famous eighteenth-century paintings.

Built in 1638, then renovated after the earthquake of 1693, the church is located in the 'Quarter of the Dead'. Inside the structure we find frescoes with the complex “Eucharistic Mystery” and the episodes of the sacred biblical book reported and represented on the walls. The Baroque style portrays the salvation of the souls of Purgatory.

The church was built in 1709 in neoclassical style. Inside you can find some canvases depicting scenes from the life of “Santa Venera and Sant'Agata”. The church, once surrounded by a lemon garden, is now located in the “Cervo” district.

Lava ridge degrading on the sea of the cyclops. Spontaneous vegetation among oaks, euphorbias, olive trees, ramnos, basculars interrupted by lemon plantations. There are several paths to the sea by the forest.

The Fortress of Touch is a military fortress that was used as a defensive castle in the 16th century during the war against the Turks (Battle of Lepanto). In the 17th century the fortress was used to make forced labor for the convicted. For this reason, the fortress was expanded and a cannon was placed, with which the people were warned of the attack of the enemy. From this use the monument takes its name.

The Nativity Scene of Santa Maria della Neve in Acireale was set up in 1752 in the cave annexed to the church, which is a lava ravine used until the mid-18th century as a refuge for bandits and fishermen, then transformed into a Bethlehem cave. Note in this crib the 32 life-size figures with wax faces and sumptuous robes and above all, the magnificent realization of the Magi. Today it is one of the most visited cribs.

The Tower of Sant'Anna dates back to the 16th century and the work on its construction lasted twenty years. It is located in Capo Mulini and was built to fortify the coast. Later, in 1868, the tower of Sant'Anna was transformed into a lighthouse. There was a guard body with the task of alerting the approach of racking ships. Today it remains a sighting beacon.

The Tower of Santa Tecla is located in the homonymous hamlet in Acireale. It is a small tower of only 3 meters per side, with a square plan in the shape of a parallelepiped. The building was built of irregular lava stone bonded with mortar. The northern part is characterized by the presence of two louvers. The front door, on the other hand, was created along the eastern wall. Today it is in excellent condition.

The Castle of Aci was built in the 7th century by the Byzantines, for reasons of defense. Inside the building there is a Museum, which is divided into three sections, that of mineralogy, paleontology and archaeology. The ancient castle is located near the sea and offers a beautiful view.

The Civic Museum is located inside the Norman Castle, of Aci Castello, which was built in the eleventh century. The museum is divided into three sections that are those: mineralogical, paleontological and archaeological. Fossils dating back to 150 million years ago can be admired in one of the sections. Another feature of the museum is the botanical garden in which succulents are grown.

The Cisternazza is a monumental complex consisting of a cistern, a garden, a beautiful portal and a raised courtyard. “A Cistirnazza “, as is said in Sicilian, was erected by the bishop of Catania Andrea Riggio in the 17th century. The cistern is about ten meters deep and has an octagonal opening.

Villa Manganelli was built between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries by the Catania family Paternò-Manganelli. The building is built with the style typical of the Viennese Secession and is surrounded by a large park of trees. It is currently the property of the Etna Park Authority. Although many years have passed since its construction, the villa is in good condition.

It houses, in addition to the cabarets also the laboratory of laugh. A real school to become a real comic-comedian, a workshop for everyone who loves humor and irony, with an eye to clever satire.

"Artium" representa un lugar donde se conservan las tradiciones ligadas a las artes y oficios de antaño que, además de tener un importante valor histórico, cultural y etnoantropológico, hunde sus raíces en las habilidades manuales del mundo artesanal que han caracterizado la tierra de Sicilia a lo largo de los siglos. Las salas subdivididas por temas como en los antiguos talleres artesanales albergan, además de las herramientas típicas, una colección de obras pintadas sobre el tema de la "Antigua Artesanía" creadas y narradas por las hábiles manos de la artista Grazia Trovato en un ciclo que enriquece la reconstrucción de la artesanía tradicional siciliana.

The Church of Santa Maria della Providence was built in 1731, at the behest of the Dean of the Collegiate Basilica of Catania, Francesco Gagliano. It represents the Mother Church of Zafferana Etnea, as well as the most important monument of this city. Over the centuries, the property suffered several damage as a result of the earthquakes that occurred in 1818 and 1984. Thanks to the restoration works today we can admire the splendor of the building in its ancient form.

The Municipal Palace was built in the late 19th century in a beautiful Art Nouveau style. After being made unusable by the 1984 earthquake, the building was restored and restored to its former glory.

The fountain was built at the beginning of the 20th century, designed by Giulio Moschetti. The monument represents one of the most famous myths in the area, the rat of Proserpina, whose legend is linked to the history of the city.

it is one of the most important cultural buildings of the town. It has three rooms: the Teatro Giovanni Verga (the main hall), the Teatro Angelo Musco and the Teatro Ambasciatori, offering the public a wide range of shows, in part self-produced.

Also in the city center, in piazza S. Francis, this testimony of Roman culture, could accommodate 5,000 visitors. Nearby is the Odeon, a smaller theater that was, it seems, used for testing.

'900 Beautiful theater with a beautiful room for three thousand seats and superb acoustics.

Today's Palazzo dell'Università was built in 1696, by Giovan Battista Vaccarini, Francesco, Antonino Battaglia and many other architects of the time. The majesty of the structure occupies a large area. The building has well-groomed 18th-century architectural decorative elements. On the façade you can see the coat of arms of Aragon, while inside there are numerous frescoes, works by Giovan Battista Piparo. Since 1696, the building has been home to the University of Catania, from which it also took its name.

Palazzo Biscari is one of the most important private buildings in Catania. It represents a unique case, for the structure, the plant and the decorations. It was built at the request of the Paterno Castello family, princes of Biscari from the end of 600`. Inside the building, there is the “party hall”, in the Rococo style, decorated with mirrors and frescoes.

It’ s possible to visit some amazing areas of the Benedictine cloistered Convent, the ruins of a roman domus recently found in its subsoil, the Church of Saint Benedict and its entrance: the stairs of the Angels. All this represents one of the most important baroque monumental complex. The tour includes the Macs – Museum of Contemporary Art of Sicily - located in the Convent ‘s little abbey.

Beautiful square and pedestrian promenade overlooking the cathedral, the palace of the Senate, Etnea Street, the fountain of the Elephant and the Amenano fountain.

The Roman aqueduct of Catania was the greatest work of piping water in Roman Sicily.

Could hold 15,000 spectators and was one of the largest theaters after the Colosseum. There were also real naval battles, filling the arena with water.

On Piazza del Duomo, opposite the Palace of the Elephants. In white Carrara marble, represent the river Amenano in the figure of the young boy pouring water. The water of the fountain ends up in the river that runs beneath the city.

Represents the symbol of the city 'U Liotru'. The black elephant carries on its back a white obelisk. We find the animal in the arms of cities and universities.

A beautiful palace, the city hall on the Piazza del Duomo.

The thermal baths are located under Piazza del Duomo, and date back to the fourth century. It is an underground spa of Roman origin. Inside, it preserves numerous architectural details such as inscriptions and tombstones, which tell the story and the period when it was discovered and put into operation. The structure suffered serious damage during the earthquake of the '600, the remaining parts were discovered over the years.

In the halls of Palazzo Bruca are exposed different toys for composition and origin, dating back to the '800 and the first half of the '900. There are several rooms dedicated to children's workshops, where performances and games are hosted.

In the Palazzo Gravina-Cruylas, the birthplace of Vincenzo Bellini, the five rooms are filled with memorabilia that trace the life of Bellini and his family, paintings, books, music sheets, musical instruments and the composer's death mask.

The Greek-Roman Archaeological Park of Catania, was established by the Sicilian Region, and deals with research, maintenance, enhancement and use of about a hundred archaeological sites and monuments, as well as the protection of several thousand finds.

The Camera Teatro Studio, active since 2002 in Catania on initiative of the Centro Teatrale Siciliano, focuses its work on the new theater and contemporary drama, as well as on the training of the public.

Imposing Aragonese castle of the '300 that today houses the Museo Civico.

Majestic baroque church, rebuilt in the '800. The bell tower was built a century later. Inside are the tombs of the kings of Aragon, the Chapel of St. Agatha and numerous works of art.

Arch raised in 1768 to celebrate the marriage of Ferdinand I and Marie Caroline of Austria.

The Castle of the Slaves of Fiumefreddo di Sicilia is among the most beautiful Baroque castles of the 18th century in the resort. Its name comes from an ancient legend. The building is spread over two floors, dominated by a tower. This was used several times as a movie set after the mid-20th century. Today the castle villa is used as an exclusive location for events and weddings.