HISTORY OF ACIREALE

Piazza del Duomo - The central square, once called Piazza del Cinque d'Oro (the square of the golden five) with reference t

o playing cards reflecting the arrangement of a platform surrounded by four small flower-beds that occupied it. Here musical and theatrical events were performed at one time. This beautiful piazza is surrounded by elegant baroque buildings, namely the Duomo, the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul - featuring a fine asymmetric façade with a single belfry - and the Town Hall, dated 1659, with wrought-iron balconies supported on richly decorated brackets bearing masks and gargoyles. Slightly set back, at the beginning of via Davì, sits the 1600's Palazzo Modò having two beautiful balconies with brackets decorated with ugly creatures; its façade bears the name - Eldorado - of the theatre that occupied the premises in the early 1900's, crowned with a large mask.

The Duomo - Dedicated to SS. Annunziata and Venera, it has a two-tone neo-gothic façade, by Giovan Battista Filippo Basile (1

825-1891), who designed the Teatro Massimo in Palermo and was father of praised Ernesto Basile, a m

aster of the Liberty style. Standing between two belfries with majolica spires, the front is enriched with a fine portal that goes back to the 1600's. Inside, between the transept and the chancel are interesting frescoes by Vasta. The floor in the transept is occupied by a 1800's sundial by Sertorius and Peters.

The Basilica di S. Sebastiano - It is located on corso Vittorio Emanuele, near Piazza Duomo, on the right hand side. A statue-topped balustrade crowns the Baroque façade of the church, combining columns, pilasters, niches and volutes. The transept and the chancel, inside, contain frescoes by Vasta depicting scenes from the life of St. Sebastian, the patron saint of the city. Piazza S. Domenico - At the end of via Cavour. It is a tiny piazza adorned by the omonymous church with a fine baroque façade, the Palazzo Musumeci (17th century) with wrought-iron balconies and rococò windows. At a short distance, is the Biblioteca Zalantea, the town library, annexed with an art gallery. Here reside the plaster modello for the statue of Acis and Galatea (now in the gardens of the Villa Comunale) by Rosario Anastasi, and a bust of Julius Caesar known as the Busto di Acireale (1st century BC).

Villa Belvedere - North of the city, at the far end of Corso Umberto

I. These nice and peaceful

gardens are complete with panoramic terrace offering breath-taking views of the Etna and the sea. Here is the mentioned statue of Acis and Galatea. At the entrance, at left, is a reproduction of the platform once ornamenting Piazza del Duomo.

Terme di S. Venera ( http://www.terme-acireale.com ) - South of the city, entrance off SS. 114. The thermal baths date back to 1873. They were built at the behest of the Baron Agostino Pennisi di Floristella, in a neo-classical style (his castle is still visible behind the baths, near the old railway station). They are fed by sulphurous water which is channelled from a spring about 3km inland, south of Acireale, in the district of Reitana. Here were discovered the remains of the Roman spa of Santa Venera al Pozzo consisting of two barrel-vaulted rooms, presumedly served as Tepidarium and Calidarium.

The Carnival is the long festive period that precedes the lenten fast in the countries to catholic tradition. The origin of the term "carnival" was derived from "carne levare". The diffused opinion is instead that the carnival represents a Christian adaptation of ancient purifying ceremonies. The historical reconstruction of the carnival, in a city like Acireale, is very complex. Some documents tell us that such recurrence came already celebrated to the end of XVI the century. In 1594 we have the ancient documents about the carnival of Acireale Another ancient document test quite that during the acese carnival there was the habit to play pulling oranges and lemons. In fact in such document this possibility is announced publicly, but the population continued to make it in such practice for many years, therefore l0ike turns out from others documents. This still present habit is to Ivrea, and here, during the carnival, you can see the famous "battaglia delle arance".
In XVII century on Sicily appeared a mask with characteristics very defined: "Abbatazzu", called also Pueta Minutizzu. The person mimed noble or ecclesiastical, carrying a large book, from which making feint to read, speaking satirical and teasing battered.
In 1693 after the earthquake it's forbidden every carnaval practice and it marks the line of fracture between the carnival of the 600 century and what will rise in the 700 (Cherub Aliotta, Le tre corone, Catania 1693).
In the XVIII century the tradition came resumption. They dull other masks, and to the Abbatazzu they place side by side the Baruni with the attempt to take in turn the aristocracy: indeed the mask was constructed from a resembling custom to a nobiliar but clearly tease dress. Other mask was the Mantles, custom with many frills that the single scope had to make to maintain the anonymity to who wore it.
The XXI century is the century of the "cassariata" one; in fact the paraded one of the carriages (landaus) of the noble ones that launch to people of sugar-coated almond the multicolors. Subsequently such landaus with the noble owners they came "scalzati" from the papier machè. In 1880 to Acireale the first wagons of papier machè are constructed. From then until our Acireale days it has maintained to this tradition taking advantage itself of several yards capacities ahead from artisan willing that have realized wagons very good.
In 1929 the character of spontaneity and private initiative leaves the place the institutionalized organization: in fact the burden to organize the supported carnival is from this year from the independent Company of the Station of cure of Acireale. In 1930 for before the time they are looked at of the cars adorned from flowers. This is the first step towards the realization of the "carri infiorati" that acquire one very defined appearance in the post-war period. In years ' 50 - ' 60 to the allegorical wagons and to blot some flowered, are placed side by side of the minium-wagons, sayings "lilliput", to edge of which find place a child. In these years they make history some personages whom with their spirit and narcotics masked have left a indelible sign in the history of the carnival of Acireale: Cola Taddazza and Quadaredda, of which the worthy successor, in posterior age, was Ciccitto.
From 1970 to 1995 the most important Carnival of Sicily", is perfected and it arranges, always becoming beautiful and above all improving itself in the construction of allegorical Wagons ( very sophisticated and colors) and flowered Wagons to you (very big ), that they catch up a level of equal importance to first.
In 1996 Acireale, for before the time, it together has the national Lotteria di Viareggio and Putignano. This is the occasion to become Carnival as a national dimension.

Off the SS. 114 to Catania, a left turning leads to the village of S. Maria La Scala. Along the way, the Church of S. Maria La Neve is signposted. Grotta del Presepe - The Grotto of the Crib, next to the church, is a winding lava ravine that bandits and fishermen used as a refuge, as far as the 18th century. Successively, it was transformed to represent the Cave at Bethlehem. In 1752, a crib was arranged here comprising 32 life-sized figures with wax faces and dressed in sumptuous clothes (notably the Magi). S. S. Maria della Scala - It is a picturesque village grown around the 1600's Mother Church, overlooking the sea. It has a nice little harbor. Return to the SS 114 and follow in direction of Catania; take the left fork for Capomulini. Abouth 100m along this road lies the Museo dei Pupi dell'Opra (the Puppet Museum) on the via Nazionale to Catania. Museo dei Pupi dell'Opera - The Turi Grasso Puppet Theatre displays a collection of traditional puppets (some dating from the 1800's). These are evidence for the high skill and craftmanship involved in the making of the puppets and their costumes. A small working theatre is also housed inside (ask at the museum for details of performances).