What to see, things to do, what to eat, interesting facts
State: CT - Area: Central Sicily
Militello In Val di Catania is one of the cities included in the UNESCO list of late Baroque cities of Sicily. It was elected Borgo dei Borghi 2025. It is a land inhabited since ancient times and this is demonstrated by the archaeological areas near the town center where remains dating back to the Copper and Iron Ages, the classical and Hellenistic period and the Byzantine and Arab period have been found. There is little information about its foundation: some legends date it back to the Romans, the archaeological evidence to the Norman period when Militellum was granted to various lords who assumed direct dominion. Two were the families who characterized the history of this village: the Barresi and the Branciforte. In particular in the first half of the seventeenth century, under the reign of Prince Francesco Branciforte and his wife Giovanna D'Austria, Militello reached its maximum splendor: it was enriched with new buildings and foundations, churches and monasteries, palaces, public fountains, a large library and a printing house, among the first in the kingdom of Sicily. The devastating earthquake of 1693 destroyed many of these monuments, but the reconstruction was splendid, with the construction of other churches and noble palaces, true architectural jewels.
Where is Militello in Val di Catania? Militello in Val di Catania is a municipality in the province of Catania. It is located in the northern part of the Iblei Mountains, in the Sicilian hinterland. It is 45 km from the city of Catania, 200 km from the city of Palermo, 90 km from the city of Enna and 75 km from the city of Syracuse.
How to reach Militello in Val di Catania? The easiest way to reach Militello in Val di Catania is to use your own car and take the A19 Palermo-Catania motorway, exit at the Sferro-Gerbini junction, and continue first on the SP192 and then on the SP74 until you reach the SS385 road (Palagonia) and follow it for one kilometre towards Catania, then take the SP30 to Militello. It is also possible to reach Militello in Val di Catania by train as the city has its own railway station.
What is the best time to visit Militello In Val di Catania?
Militello In Val di Catania 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 Militello In Val di Catania 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.
What to see in Militello In Val di Catania
Among the religious buildings of great importance are: the former Abbey of San Benedetto, which overlooks the Piazza del Municipio with its imposing mass and elegance; the Mother Church, dedicated to San Nicolò, a very valuable example of late-Baroque Sicilian art, whose crypt houses the Museo San Nicolò, an important institution that preserves and exhibits notable works of art; the Sanctuary of Santa Maria la Stella, with its baroque façade rich in carvings and the precious works of art kept in the Treasury of Santa Maria La Stella; the Church of the Madonna della Catena, one of the few buildings that survived the earthquake of 1693; the Church of the SS. Sacramento al Circolo, with its characteristic concave façade of Borromian influence; the former Church of San Domenico, now the Municipal Auditorium, and the annexed convent, now home to the Civic Museum and the Municipal Library; the Church of Purgatory with its valuable polychrome stuccos and the gilded wooden altar; the Church of Sant'Antonio with the Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre; the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli of the Capuchin Friars which houses a valuable wooden apparatus from the 18th century. Other valuable religious buildings are: the Church of Sant'Agata and its valuable seventeenth-century chapel of the high altar; the Church of San Giovanni Battista embellished with an eighteenth-century floor in Calatina majolica; the Church of the Guardian Angels with precious stuccos and a floor in Calatina ceramics; the Church of San Sebastiano with its sixteenth-century portal; the Church of the Immaculate Conception whose Franciscan convent, now in ruins, was one of the first in all of Sicily; the Church of San Francesco, custodian of several valuable works; the Church of the Madonna dello Spasimo, one of the few buildings not damaged by the earthquake of 1693; the Church of Calvario, an ancient religious building that stands in a splendid panoramic position; the edicule of San Pietro, what remains of the ancient Church of San Pietro and Paolo; a Church of San Leonardo, an ancient building now in ruins. Among the extra-urban churches we remember: the sixteenth-century Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie outside the walls which still preserves the original sacristy with a round vault in polished stone; the fifteenth-century Church of the Holy Cross commissioned by the Barresi, lords of the city, with the aim of marking the borders of their territory, which still preserves some of the original structures including the lowered presbytery arch; the Church of the Santissimo Crocifisso al Franco, now in a state of abandonment, located close to the bed of the Iatrini stream, preserves a very ruined painted image depicting the Crucifix between the apostles Peter and Paul. Of considerable importance is the Archaeological Park of Santa Maria la Vetere, a witness to the past of this village and of its medieval origins. Inside the archaeological park is the Church of Santa Maria la Vetere, of which the right nave and part of the façade remain with its very valuable portal, a masterpiece-symbol of the church; the Church of the Holy Spirit, a rock chapel dug into a side of the quarry of S. Maria la Vetere; the Norman Tower.
Numerous buildings embellish the streets and squares of the village: the castello Barresi-Branciforti, a Norman fortress of which only a few elements remain today; Iatrini Palce, one of the greatest examples of Baroque civil architecture in the city; Niceforo palace, in Baroque style, with its portal full of anthropomorphic figures; Baldanza-Denaro palace with its corbels with masks and bas-reliefs; Liggieri palace with valuable Baroque carvings on the balconies and portals; a href="https://www.enjoysicilia.it/en/enna-villa-del-casale/militello-val-di-catania/palazzo-oliva-militello-in-val-di-catania/">Oliva palace, with a valuable Mannerist-style carved French window; Iatrini-Troìa palace with late Baroque corbels and a rounded railing; Majorana palace, or Palazzo dei Leoni, a valuable example of 16th-century civil architecture with its original rusticated corners enriched by austere lions; Baldanza palace, an imposing building in Baroque style; Palazzo Teina, in Baroque style; Reburdone palace, in Mannerist style; Rejna Palace, in neoclassical style; Sciannaca Palace, in neoclassical style. Of great value is the fontana della Zizza commissioned by Prince Francesco Branciforte. We also remember the monumental fountain located next to the San Domenico Auditorium and the Cavario drinking trough.Militello in Val di Catania also holds a landscape treasure: the Cascate dell'Ossena, or Oxena, set in a beautiful environmental context. Among the environmental beauties we also remember the Cava del Carcarone, a deep and articulated canyon located to the east of the town where there are extensive banks of fossil corals.
There are several archaeological areas near the town which testify to the frequentation of the territory during a wide chronological span. Among these we remember: the Necropolis of Santa Barbara, a rock settlement with large caves that extends over various terraces connected to each other by stairs carved into the rock; the necropolis of Fildidonna, a vast burial area consisting of approximately four hundred pit tombs dug into the calcarenite; the necropolis of Oxina, a necropolis dating back to the Bronze Age.
Traditional Festivals, Events, Live Show, Concerts,... Militello In Val di Catania
Of great interest is the Mostarda and Prickly Pear Festival in Militello in Val di Catania, a fruit present on the Militello table not only as a dessert but also as a raw material for numerous preparations. Among the religious events, rich in faith and tradition, great importance is given to: Holy Week in Militello which includes the procession of the Ecce Homo, the Living Via Crucis and the procession with the Risen Christ; the feast of Santa Maria la Stella, the main patron saint of the city, which takes place at the beginning of September; the Feast of SS. Salvatore, patron saint of Militello, which takes place in August.
Typical food, local wines and drinks, traditional dish to taste in Militello In Val di Catania
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 landscape surrounding Militello in Val di Catania is dotted with olives, carob trees and above all prickly pears, much sought after for their organoleptic properties. The typical local gastronomy is mainly based on confectionery production as Militello in Val di Catania boasts its own specialties that are the result of the skill of its inhabitants and the ancient culinary art cultivated in its numerous monasteries: cassatelline, or square-shaped shortcrust pastry baskets filled with a mixture of almonds, fruit jam, chocolate, liqueur, cinnamon and cloves; prickly pear mustard; mostaccioli, winter sweets made with cooked wine; infasciatelli, Christmas sweets made with shortcrust pastry and toasted almonds; pipirata, a preparation with cooked prickly pear wine, rice and pine nuts; minnulata, a toasted almond granita.
Interesting and Fun Facts
Interesting and fun facts, mythology, legend, folk tales and more to know about Militello In Val di Catania
