Origin of the name - Motta Sant'Anastasia -
It is believed that the origin of the name - Motta Sant'Anastasia - derives from Arabic and Greek-Byzantine, testifying to the rich history of this village.
According to the most accredited hypothesis, the term Motta derives from the pre-Roman term Mocta, a term which indicated a rise in the land but which in medieval times came to mean a castle built on a small hill, while the term anastasia derives instead from the Greek-Byzantine term Anastasie, which means isolated place.
Subsequently the two names, as combined, gave rise to the citizens' devotion to Saint Anastasia, who became the patron saint of the city.
