Aci Catena

Aci Catena is a small, densely built comune just southwest of Acireale on Sicily's eastern flank, facing Etna rather than clustering along the coast. It's not a place most travelers would seek out on its own, but it rewards a detour for anyone exploring the Aci valley area, and its landmarks are worth knowing about if you're staying nearby.

The town takes its name from the cult of Santa Maria della Catena—Our Lady of the Chain—centered on the Santuario di Maria SS. della Catena, locally called the Matrice. What began as a modest shrine in the 1570s grew into a substantial church, rebuilt on a grander scale after the devastating 1693 earthquake. Inside, a fifteenth-century Marian fresco and a processional statue carried in local feasts since at least 1630 give it real historical depth; the town's biggest celebration falls on August 15.

In the Aci San Filippo district, the Basilica of San Filippo d'Agira commands views down toward Capomulini and Acitrezza, its Greek-cross plan and sixteen-column stone façade making it one of the area's more striking churches.

For something older, Santa Venera al Pozzo holds Roman-era bath and craft remains, part of the Archaeological Park of Catania and the Aci Valley—an unexpected layer beneath the otherwise modern townscape.