What to see, things to do, what to eat, interesting facts
State: CT - Area: Catania and Etna
Acireale is a city of art that stands on a terrace of lava origin overlooking the Ionian Sea, the Timpa. It is said that it originated from Xiphonia, a mysterious disappeared Greek city. The poets Virgil and Ovid trace its foundation to the myth of Acis and Galatea, a sad love story between the nymph Galatea and the shepherd Acis, killed out of jealousy by the Cyclops Polyphemus. In Roman times a city called Akis arose, which took part in the Punic wars. In the medieval period the village developed around the castle of Aci, today's Aci Castello, and only in the fourteenth century did around ten families move further north, where the city of Aquilia was born, the first nucleus of today's inhabited area. The sixteenth century was a period of great growth and wealth for the city, a strong mercantile class was consolidated, various corporations and religious orders were established which left an indelible mark: the city is still known today as the city of a hundred bell towers . The Val di Noto earthquake on 11 January 1693 partially destroyed the city; following the reconstruction process, splendid buildings arose characterized by the magnificence of baroque architecture in all its infinite facets.
Where is Acireale located? Acireale is a municipality in the province of Catania. It stands on a plateau of lava origin, called the Timpa, located at 161 meters above sea level overlooking the sea. The city is located along the Riviera dei Ciclopi, on the Ionian Sea, in eastern Sicily, on the southern slopes of Etna. It is 17 km from the city of Catania, 45 km from the city of Taormina, 85 km from the city of Messina and 230 km from the city of Palermo. the Timpa oriented natural reserve falls within its territory.
How to reach Acireale? The simplest way to reach Acireale is to use your own car and take the A18 Catania-Messina motorway and exit at the junction for Acireale. It is also possible to reach Acireale by train as the city has its own railway station.
What is the best time to visit Acireale?
Acireale can be visited all year round: the welcome and warmth of the Sicilians will amaze you.
But for an unforgettable experience, admiring the colors, tasting the flavors and fully experiencing the traditions, it is advisable to plan a visit on the days of one of the festivals that take place in Acireale during the year.
If you want to know about upcoming festivals and events Click here and you will find a list of the most important ones.
Its characteristics make both a guided tour of the historic center and aquatic activities in one of the small seaside villages that arise along the Cyclops Riviera and a nature walk in the Timpa extremely pleasant.
Traditional Festivals, Events, Live Show, Concerts,... Acireale
The Carnival of Acireale, considered the most beautiful Carnival in Sicily and one of the best in Italy, is certainly the most important event in the city and sees spectacular floats parade through the streets of the historic center allegorical. In the month of May the Flower Festival takes place, during which the traditional flower-decorated floats parade. In the month of August the summer carnival takes place, during which the allegorical floats that participated in the previous edition of the carnival are exhibited. Among the religious festivals, the festival of San Sebastiano, patron saint of the city, which takes place on January 20th and the festival of Santa Venera, patron saint of the city, which takes place takes place in the month of July. Among the food and wine events, the most important is La 'Nivarata, the international summer festival of Sicilian granita. During the summer, numerous festivals take place in the various seaside villages: the Swordfish Festival in Pozzillo; the Summer Festival in Stazzo, the Octopus Festival in Pozzillo,... Also of great importance are: the < a href="https://www.enjoysicilia.it/en/events/fiera-ionio-acireale/">Fiera dello Jonio, traditionally held in September, a large exhibition of typical Sicilian craftsmanship and traditions; the Vela D'oro, a national festival for emerging singers whose final is held annually in the seaside village of Stazzo; AciComics, the comics, videogame and pop culture festival; the Premio Aci & Galatea, a gala evening during which prizes are awarded to Sicilians who, with their work, promote Sicily.
Typical food, local wines and drinks, traditional dish to taste in Acireale
You can obviously taste all the typical products of Sicilian cuisine, the most well-known ones, such as
cannoli, Sicilian cassata, arancini, etc.
But there are some specialties typical of this area that are more difficult to find in other areas of Sicily.
The typical trunzu cabbage is produced in the Acireale area, officially recognized as a Slow Food Presidium. One of the typical dishes of the city of Acireale is in fact the pasta cu trunzu. Acireale has a great tradition in the processing and production of granita, it dedicates in fact every year there is a great celebration, the nivarrata. Acireale has a renowned pastry shop which has in its rice zeppole with honey, also called crispelle di San Giuseppe in the neighboring municipalities, in stuffed cannoli, in miniature pastry products and in artisan ice cream its cutting edge. The diner is excellent with freshly baked products: arancini, cartocciate and the traditional cipollina; and sweet breakfast products such as raviole filled with ricotta, iris filled with chocolate cream or white cream. In the seaside villages there are many restaurants that offer menus based of only fresh fish. Acireale, together with its district, is also known for the Etna lemon, which in October 2020 obtained the prestigious I.G.P. recognition by the European Union.
To view a list of business activity within tourism in Acireale Click here
Interesting and Fun Facts
Interesting and fun facts, mythology, legend, folk tales and more to know about Acireale
