Sicily · Catania
Castiglione di Sicilia
A hill town on the north flank of Etna at 621 meters, base camp for the Alcantara valley and the volcano's most serious red wines.
621m
Elevation
53 km / 33 mi
Nearest hub (Catania)
2,903
Population
May–Oct
Best time to visit
Why come
Castiglione di Sicilia stands at 621 meters on the northern slope of Etna, looking down the Alcantara river valley between Randazzo and Taormina. Norman count Roger I documented it in 1092 as Castrileonis, the great castle, and the municipal territory still reaches up to the summit of Etna, including the north-east crater. The Castello di Lauria sits on a basalt outcrop above the town, twelfth century, rebuilt by Ruggero di Lauria in the thirteenth, and now houses the Enoteca Regionale per la Sicilia Orientale. The hills below are the heart of the Etna DOC. Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio are grown on the volcanic soils that surround the village; Carricante carries the whites. Bottles from Cottanera, Passopisciaro, Tenuta delle Terre Nere, and the Alcantara producers all ship from here. The Gole dell'Alcantara, basalt gorges carved by lava and water, run twenty minutes downhill.
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Known for
Castello di Lauria
Norman castle rebuilt by Ruggero di Lauria in the thirteenth century on a basalt outcrop above the town, today the Enoteca Regionale for eastern Sicily.
Cuba Bizantina di Santa Domenica
Small Byzantine cube-shaped church, seventh to ninth century, in the rural outskirts of the commune, one of the oldest surviving structures in the Etna area.
Gole dell'Alcantara
Basalt gorges carved by the Alcantara river through prismatic lava columns, around twenty minutes downhill from the centro storico.
Chiesa di Sant'Antonio Abate
Norman-era mother church in the historic centre, rebuilt several times after Etna eruptions and seismic damage, lava-stone bell tower.
Etna nord and the Etna DOC vineyards
The municipal territory rises to the north-east summit crater; the surrounding contrade hold the heart of the Etna DOC red wine appellation.
When to visit
Best months · May–Oct
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
May through October are the working months on Etna nord. Vineyard tours start in June, harvest runs late September through mid-October on the higher contrade, and the slopes turn red and gold into early November. July and August on Etna are bearable at 621 meters: nights drop to seventeen degrees, far cooler than Catania. Winter brings snow on the north face above 1,500 meters; the Piano Provenzana ski area is forty minutes uphill. The town itself goes quiet from December to April, when many cantine cellar doors close to visitors. The Madonna della Catena procession in mid-August is the main local feast.
How to get there
From Catania, Castiglione di Sicilia is roughly 53 km by road. Allow about 45–64 minutes depending on traffic and route choice (autostrada vs scenic).
Drive time to the nearest gateway airports
- Sicily1h 0m
- Lamezia / Reggio3h 15m
- Naples / Salerno7h 12m
Elevation 621 m
Reachable by train
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Close by
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