THE NEIGHBOURHOOD


    MISTERBIANCO
    The origin of settlement over this territory is very ancient. It is proved by the presence of an aqueduct and a thermal bath dated back to the Romans and a sight tower dated back to the Greeks. In 1642 the village, that counts few hundred of inhabitants, gains its identity and its denomination “Monasterium Album”, name referred to the Monastery placed in the same territory.
    In 1669 a huge volcanic eruption covered the whole village and the inhabitants where forced to move from there. So they tooke place just 3 chilometer on the south and they builded up the new Misterbianco.
    From that time onwards the village has griew and expanded immensely. Right now the population is over 45.000 people and the area belonging to Misterbianco is so vast that it can count over 6 districts more than the original area. In the last few years, thanks to its strategical position, the village has lived an incredible economic development connected to the building of the biggest sicilian commercial area.

  • TO VISIT:
    Thermal bath. Dated back to the last Imperial age. This place has been immortalized by the the French traveller Houel paintings now exposed in the Sanpietroburgo Ermitage Museum.
    Roman aqueduct. That was carrying the water from Santa Maria di Licodia (small village about 20 chilometers far looking at the North-West direction) to Catania.
    The main Church. Where it is possible to admire the Vergin Mary statue – attributed to the Gagini school -, the Organ, two of the four votives “cerei” dedicated to the patron saint Sant’Antonio Abate.
    One of the biggest Solar watch all over Italy, placed in the staircase of the San Rocco Church.
    Moreover the Palace of the Doges in Piazza Mazzini, the Civic Gallery, the Cloister and the Senate house.
    It is also possible to visit the scene where Misterbianco lain before the 1669 eurption and to visit and interesting old tiny church with its court and the ruins of the main church covered by the lava.
    To whom likes to digress, shopping or go to the cinema, it is possible to reach, in less than 15 minutes, the biggest sicilian Aquapark (called Etnaland) and the huge adjacent Store (called Etnapolis).

  • NOT TO MISS:
    The Carnival. Misterbianco takes place one of the most beautiful carnival parade all over Sicily. The peculiarity is given by the beauty and the sumptiuosity of the fancy-dresses hand-sewn and dressed exclusively by the local tailors and people.
    A trip around Volcano with the little local train called Circumetenea. This cute old train starts from Catania city and go through all the small villages (Misterbianco included) placed around the Etna, some of them are really worthy seeing such us Randazzo, Adrano, Bronte, ecc . It gives evocative view of the Volcano looking from different angles as well as a total immersion into the characteristic scents and the flora of this area of Sicily (prickly pear, broom, oranges).
    The Sant’Antonio Abate feast. Happens during the first week of August every 4 years. During that time the procession behind the votive statue crosses the main roads of the village, proceded by the four “cerei” representing the forth major working categories of the past: shepherd, farmer, craftsman, car drivers.
    The Madonna degli Ammalati feast. Happens every year during the first week of September. In this occasion the procession follows an old painting representing the Virgin Mary that it is said has been saved from the lava eruption on 1669 and an ancient bell that was used during the eruption to collect all the villager togheter. For this reason the celebrations happen both in the old and in the new Misterbianco and are characterized by devotional songs performed by a big amount of faithful accompanyed by the musical band.

    • CATANIA
    Its the chief town and it extends around the Golfo and the Piana di Catania.It is located just at the Mountain Etna feet.
    The city is full of historical monuments of great interest that follows the history of the city from the Greek age, going through the various dominations along the centuries, until relatively modern time with monuments dedicated to the composer Vincenzo Bellini and the writer Giovanni Verga.
    Besides, you can find many feature and evocative sites such us the vegetable market, the fish store, the little port in San Giovanni Licuti, the Ciclopi coast and the old Catania center almost fully builded by using lava stone. The city its fully alive and in a continuos state of cultural and artistic ferment as you can see by the wilde range of musical and theatrical events available all year long, as well as the intense night activity inside pubs, resturants and clubs that often became the promoters by themselves of exhibitions and concerts, musical and cinema events, debate and cultural trades.
    Obviously Catania is also a city by the sea. You can choose the Playa, sand beach filled with various and equipped shores for any likings. Otherwise you can explore the amazing cost of the Riviera dei Ciclopi filled with sofisticated shores or open platforms builded just on the rocks near to the sea.

  • TO VISIT:
    Acitrezza and Acicastello. Small and cute fisherman villages that inspired the tales of Giovanni Verga. They offer an amazing view of the coast and especially of the little island of Lachea and the Faraglioni, mythical rocks thriew by Polifemo against Ulisse in the Odissea.
    Acireale. Little town particularly attractive for its baroque in the old city and for its picturesque sea villages rised in the middle of the Timpa vegetation (Capomulini, Santa Tecla, Santa Maria La Scala). The town is also very famous for its uncient Thermal Baths of Santa Venera e Santa Caterina. Already in use during the Roman age, they became quickly the desired destination of people from all over Europe. Also now the Thermal Baths offers various kind of threatments for health and beauty.
    Caltagirone. Very famous for its ceramics and its beautiful staircase Santa Maria del Monte fully decorated with maiolica, hand made painted tiles. The techniques used for creating articles from clay have remained unchanged for centuries and it is still possible to have a taste of that techniques just by visiting the many factories spread all over the territory.


  • THE ETNA VOLCANO: it is the higher mountain of Sicily and the bigger alive volcano of all Europe. It always offers spectacular and ever changing images to the people living in Catania territory: now it is smoking and full of snow, then it becomes majestic in its full green and dark colours, after a while is terrifying with spray of fire and white-hot tounges. It is easily reacheble by car in about 30 minutes and it is worth one ore more visits in both sides either douring winter time than douring spring or summer season.

  • NOT TO MISS:
    Sant’Agata feast. She is the Catania city patron-saint and her feast occurs during the first week of February. Very pictoresque are some moments of the procession along the city streets very late in the night or during the first hours of the new day: the fireworks in Piazza Borgo, the San Giuliano climb or the songs dedicated to the Saint by a group of nuns under the churches in Via Crociferi.
    The cribs. During Christmast time all over the Catania territory it is possible to see many different types of cribs some of them really intresting and artistic. The most famous cribs are exposed in Caltagirone.
    The Carnival in Acireale. Very famous for its allegorical carts made of paper-pulp it is one of the ancient events and still the most busy.




  • THE COOKERY:everything is very wholesome and worth to be tasted in Sicily. From the Granite (almond or mulberry flavour) and the Gelati (ice-cream) to the Arancine (rise filled with varoius ingridients balls fried) and the Cipolline (bundle made of sheet of past dough filled with tomato, cheese and onions); moreover, from the wine and olive oil to pasta alla norma (tomato, fried eggplants and salty cheese) and any kind of local fresh fish.