Acireale

Acireale is a municipality in the province of Catania which is located on a plateau overlooking the sea.

A city of very ancient origins, today the urban layout of Acireale is typical of the late medieval cities of Sicily.

The city center is known as the Timpa which, with its 161 meters of height, allows you to see the Ionian Sea, coast with a steep cliff is of lava origin. The prefix Aci comes from an underground stream linked to the legend of love between Aci and Galatea. Passing through Acireale certainly means tasting the famous Sicilian granita. It is a welcome food and a must to taste if you visit the Sicily region. The flavors are particularly famous: almond, coffee and the famous mulberry, a fruit similar to blackberry but with a more sour taste.

Acireale is also renowned for its pastry products, in fact one cannot fail to taste the famous rice donuts with honey, the cannoli filled with chocolate cream, white cream and more.

Among the most evocative events in Acireale there is certainly the Festa di San Sebastiano. It is held on January 20 and is the first significant event on the calendar. It is a religious festival which consists of a procession carrying the statue of San Sebastiano through the city for which there is still great religious reverence today.

The Carnival of Acireale is also very beautiful, one of the most important in Sicily.