The Sicilian city I described in this post is regarded as the town of the best Carnival in Sicily. This town is Acireale, a coastal city in the north – east of the province of Catania. Placed amid beautiful beaches and the mount Etna, Acireale is the right place to visit in any seasons, from the winter to the summer. Especially in the winter, you can witness spectacular costumes, floats and parades that crossing all the streets of the town. In the world, these parades are as famous as the one in the Rio De Janeiro carnival. The only difference, between these two events, it that in Rio you’ll see half-naked women because carnival falls in the summer, while in Sicily it falls in the winter.

History

Although Acireale is a baroque city, its foundation dates back to the Greek and Roman time. It is probable that the town is an extension of an ancient city called Akis. The latter was also involved in the Punic War. The name of the city, however, comes from the namesake river Aci, a shining water stream crossing other similar towns around the valley between Catania and mount Etna. Indeed, the other towns surrounding this zone have names that begin with the prefix Aci. They are also called the sisters of Acireale. In the Middle Age, Acireale was conquered by the Arabs and the Byzantines. The town was freed from the feudal ties in the 16° century, only, by Emperor Charles V, who helped the economical development of the city and laid down the early foundations for Acireale Carnival.

Acireale Carnival

The carnival of Acireale boasts a very ancient history. Some ancient manuscripts already mentioned this event in the XVI century. At that time, this carnival was only a spontaneous event and attracted the entire participation of the local people. In 1600, people had the habit to throw rotten eggs, oranges and lemons along the streets. This fun was however forbidden by the local governor because of severe damages against things, buildings and people, who was even injured by the strokes. In the early in 1700, the Carnival of Acireale becomes more and more refined and elegant and was enriched with a nuance of hilarious jokes put in place by the so called “ abbatazzi”. These were poets skilled in inventing amusing rimes in the streets and the squares. In 1800, the Carnival had a quality leap with the addition of the “cassariata”, namely a parade of chariots trailed by the horses of noble people who threw gusts of sweets to the viewers. In the 1920s, the carnival of Acireale had the great turning and became a strong tourist event. In the early 1930s, instead, the first paper mache masks appeared, then turned into allegoric chariots trailed by cows and surrounded by moving groups and satirical personages. A touch of elegance and animation was given by the garlanded cars. In 1948, Acireale Carnival was added to the list of the most popular carnival of the world. It is just for those that for over 70 years, this event has been defined as the most beautiful carnival of Sicily. Every year, flowered chariots and allegoric floats are accompanied by masked groups that walk along the streets of the city. Still today, this event is accompanied with the medieval parade of the neighborhoods of Motta Sant’Anastasia, called “Three kings in the court of King Carnival”, in addition to folkloristic groups and pom pom girls. Watched live, this event is really stunning and unforgettable because it can overwhelm you with a wide range of emotions, scents, lights and glittering colours. For this reason, I also believe this is one of the main attractions of Acireale, but what are the others?

Attractions

As just asked, the main attractions of Acireale are: Carnival, the beautiful and awesome churches, the natural reserve of Timpa, the Riviera of Cyclops, Villa Belvedere and the beaches. This town is very famous just for the churches, starting from the neo gothic St. Peter’s Basilica ( see the image), the baroque St. Sebastian’s Basilica and the Cathedral, built in XVII century. Another church tourists must absolutely visit is the one of Saint Dominic, a neoclassical monument rebuilt in XVIII century. The original church was indeed destroyed in 1693 by an awful earthquake which also damaged a large part of Sicily The natural reserve of the Timpa is the result of ancient volcanic earthquakes what shaped lava stone walls falling into the sea. Amid grottos and lush woods, tourists can admire an untouched green landscape with rare flora and fauna and spectacular sights which allow you to see the Sicilian sea at the foot of Mount Etna. The Riviera of Cyclops is a legendary place surrounded by beaches, sea and high rocks emerging from crystal and wonderful waters. I also talked about this Riviera in another detailed post. Villa Belvedere, dedicated to King Vittorio Emanuele III, is the greatest public garden of the city. Built in 1848, got the name Belvedere ( beautiful sight) for the stunning landscape you’ll enjoy by looking out the balcony in the bottom of the main boulevard. On the left, you can see Taormina up to Calabria, on the right, you can see the hills of Augusta city. In front of you, downward, it is the Timpa, where Acireale arises, and behind, it rises the magnificent and awesome Mount Etna.

Beaches

The most beautiful beaches of Acireale are Capo Mulini and Santa Tecla. The first is in a rocky trait of the Timpa, protected by lush vegetation and hard to be reached. To see this pebble beach, you must hike challenging pathways by leaving from the centre of the town. From here, hike the path of Aci Stair ( Scala di Aci) and the Spanish alley called “Le Chiazzette”, walk along the coast of the Timpa and arrive to the sea town of Santa Maria La Scala. Turn on the right and follow this path that drives you just to this beach. The Santa Tecla beach is in the centre- east coast of Sicily, slightly in the North of the centre of Acireale. The stunning lava stone cliffs remind us the nearby Etna volcano. Particularly breathtaking, the landscape with a restaurant built in XVI century on a cliff near Pennisi slipway.

Thermal baths

Acireale is also very famous for its thermal baths ( see the image – photocredit Ipostilo Flickr) These enjoy a very beautiful location, on the foot of Etna volcano, from which they get their real origin, and on a mythical reef: the port of Ulysses. On this piece of Sicilian sea, there are also the two buildings of the thermal baths included in a stunning garden and natural park. Inside the thermal baths, tourists can also find chances for fun and relax, walk and hike the pathway of the park. In the summer, visitors can also enjoy concerts and shows to end the day happily. Thermal baths are very useful to treat several diseases involving heart, lungs, nose, ears, throat, muscles and bones. The waters of the thermal baths of Acireale come from the slow western side of Mount Etna, at a height of 112 meters above the sea level in the municipality of Acicatena and have a temperature of nearly 22 degrees. The waters who arriving in the thermal plants in Acireale, at a height of 100 meters above the sea level, arrive partially from a sea cave at a depth of 40 metres. They are made of sulphur compounds and minerals. The main therapeutic tool of the thermal baths of Acireale is made of sulphurous salsobromoiodica radioactive water, characterized by a particular combination of sulphur. The quite peculiar mineralization and the high concentration of sulfurised hydrogen enhance the therapeutic effects at the most. You get the mineral – vegetable mud used for the therapies from a mixture of volcanic clay and water of Etna volcano grown for three years. The thermal baths of Acireale have also a medical, physical and rehabilitation center.

Currently,  the thermal baths of Acireale are closed. I discovered this news abruptly and saddened very much. But, sometimes, Sicily is like this: wonderful landscape and uneffective tourist services. I hope the thermal baths will reopen very soon. I promise that I’ll keep you informed about this with an upgrade of this post.

Acireale hotels and accommodations

In Acireale, hotels and accommodations are quite affordable and allow you to stay in this city in every season. Reservation prices go from 36  to 199 euros per night.  A room in Acireale is the best choice to visit not only the beuties of this city, but also the surroundings, such as Etna, Taormina, Riviera of Cyclops and the beaches.  To book accommodations and hotels in Acireale, as the ones i described, you can see here.

Acireale weather

If you are thinking to use the therapies of the thermal baths, you must know Acireale weather. The mild weather of this zone allows you to enjoy a comfortable vacation and get the best benefits from the thermal therapies. The average temperature goes from 11 degrees in the winter to 24 in the summer. Here, the spring can have the same temperature of the winter and the summer. Fortunately, the average temperature is enough bearable in Acireale. Sometimes, it may occur a very hot summer in Sicily and you had better go to the thermal baths in the winter, or spring or autumn. Thanks to this weather, you can also fully enjoy the charming natural landscape and many initiatives that take place in this fabulous and unforgettable location.

Rosalba Mancuso

Rosalba Mancuso is a freelance journalist born in Sicily. Passionate about her loved island and with extensive writing experience, Rosalba worked as a contributor to the main Sicily’s newspapers and as a bilingual Italian – English writer. Thanks to her skills, she also founded four websites in English. On Sicilyonweb, Rosalba tells every corner of her beloved Sicily. Furthermore, she writes this blog thanks to your help. Rosalba, in fact, earns a small commission, with no cost for you, when you book your travel or buy products through the affiliate widgets or links you find in her posts.