a very beautiful town at only 5 km
Acireale is a coastal city in the north-east of the province of Catania at the foot of Mount Etna, on the coast of the Ionian Sea.
It is a diocese, famous for its churches, including the Neo-Gothic St. Peter's Basilica, St. Sebastian's Basilica in the Sicilian Baroque style, and the 17th century Acireale Cathedral. Acireale is also noted for its paintings: the oldest academy in Sicily, the "Accademia dei Dafnici e degli Zelanti", is located here.
The church of San Biagio in Acireale contains some of the relics of the Venerable Gabriele Allegra, who entered the Franciscan seminary there in 1918.
Other notable places of interest are the Villa Belvedere, a large public park overlooking the Ionian Sea, and the Piazza Duomo. South of the Piazza Duomo, is the oldest section of the city. There are many beautiful historic Baroque buildings, including the Palazzo Pennisi and Palazzo Modò which date from the 17th century. The commercial city centre is located primarily in the streets adjacent to and including the Corso Umberto and Corso Italia which are the city's principal thoroughfares.
Acireale is famous throughout Sicily for its spectacular floats, costumes, and parades during the season of carnival, which attracts many tourists and visitors.
