A history that begins in the XVII century............

The blue sea, the green woods changing shades as the seasons turn over, the black lava stone, the white snow-covered mountain, paint the colour path of this magic place. In a so marvellous scenery, in an ideal position between the mountain and the seaside, is situated the village of Sant’Alfio.

It lies on a hill that goes from the Ionian Sea to Mount Etna, through enchanting landscapes and botanic and floristic rarities. Its territory extends from 400 to 3300 m above sea level offering to the visitors the picturesque sceneries of the Mediterranean scrub and of the lava desert.

Sant’Alfio is reachable in few minutes from the tollgate of Giarre (8 km following the indicated deviation, driving through Macchia di Giarre and San Giovanni Montebello).

If you love the country, but you can’t do without the seaside, Sant’Alfio is an ideal destination: in just 20 minutes by car you can easily reach Fondachello and Marina di Cottone beaches, and you need about 30 minutes to reach Giardini Naxos and Taormina. Mountain lovers, instead, can get to Rifugio Citelli in more or less 30 minutes.

The origins of the village date back to the end of the XVII century, when some owners from Acireale and Catania got considerable holdings in emphyteusis from the bishop of Catania. On these lands, on the south-east side of Etna, until then property of Mascali, were built the first hamlets. The historic centre of the village, instead, was built around the present-day Mother Church at the beginnings of the XVIII century.

In 1815 Giarre got its autonomy from Mascali, bringing Sant’Alfio with it, which had been one of the seven towers of Mascali County. Sant’Alfio became independent only in 1923, including in its territory also the hamlets of Milo and Fornazzo, which detached in 1955 becoming together a separated municipality.

The name of the village has its origins in an ancient religious tradition: three brothers, Alfio, Filadelfo and Cirino, of a noble Spanish family, were deported to Sicily in 253 A.D., and martyred because of their Christian religious faith. According to the tradition, the three Saint Brothers during their journey from Taormina to Lentini walked through the land that then has taken the name of Sant’Alfio; here the “beam miracle” took place: a raging wind suddenly broke out unburdening the three brothers of the enormous heavy beam they had been barbarously loaded with, to harden their journey.

The historic centre of the village hasn’t undergone significant changes: you can still walk through its ancient narrow streets on which stand the most important buildings, and enjoy from Piazza Duomo, the main square, the breathtaking view of the Ionian coast, from Taormina to the Augusta gulf; while the opposite side is dominated by the Mother Church, dedicated to the three martyrs, whose peculiarity is its front made of lava stone surmounted by a steeple. Inside, the marble altars are embellished with precious altarpieces, one of them representing the three Saint Patrons. From this church begins the procession of the three Patron Saints, Alfio, Filadelfo and Cirino, that are celebrated every year, on the first Sunday of May. It’s the most important festival of the village that joins religious and folkloric components. The Church guards also a monumental organ of a great artistic value.

Another noteworthy monument is the Chiesa del Calvario (Church of the Calvary) dating back to the end of 1800 and situated on the top of a hill, from where you can enjoy a beautiful landscape. An imposing staircase made of lava stone leads to the entrance. The interior of the church is characterized by wood altars, which give evidence of the old-time craftsmen’s fine art.

In the quarter of Nucifori, the Chiesa di Nucifori guards a bust of Our Lady of Tindari, whom the inhabitants are particularly devoted.

The Chiesa di Magazzeni, 6 km far from the town centre, was built in 1958 near the place where thirty years earlier an impressive lava flow, which was about to run over Sant’Alfio, stopped just in front of the relics of the Saints during the procession.

Besides the tour of the historic centre, there are several naturalistic and landscape itineraries to discover within the Etna Park, among which: the Grotta dei Ladri (Thieves Cave), at an altitude of 1540 m in Piano delle Donne area; the Etna silver birch (Betulla Aetnensis), a typically northern plant present at this latitude following a far-off glaciation, of a notable naturalistic interest in the  territory surrounding the Rifugio Citelli and Sartorius Mounts; the Cernita Wood near the lava flow of 1865.

An itinerary that you can’t miss is the gastronomic route. Sant’Alfio offers the chance of trying a lot of Sicilian gastronomic specialities such as the Paste di mandorla, di pistacchio, di nocciola e di noce (sweets made of an almond, pistachio, hazelnut or nut paste) as well as the Etna apples, the honey and the wine. Since its origins, in fact, the village has flourished thanks to, above all, the production of wine, which has made of it one of the major producer and exporter centres of the Etna area. And, because of the picturesque vineyards which surround its territory, Sant’Alfio is also known as City of Wine.