Aci Catena

Aci Catena (Zip Code 95022) is 216 Km. distant from Agrigento, 144 Km. from Caltanissetta, 18 Km. from Catania, which is the province it belongs to, 113 Km. from Enna, 81 Km. from Messina, 266 Km. from Palermo, 121 Km. from Ragusa, 75 Km. from Siracusa, 373 Km. from Trapani.

The municipality counts 24.851 inhabitants, its surface measures 845 hectares, and its population density counts 2940 inhabitants per square kilometre. It rises over a coastal hilly area, 170 meters above the sea-level.

The Town Hall is located in via Vittorio Emanuele n. 4, tel. ++39 095-801604 fax. ++39 095-7643320. E-mail address is: segreteria.generale@comune.acicatena.ct.it.

A prevalently agricultural center, Aci Catena is outstanding for the production of fruit, vegetables, and excellent citrus fruits, that can be tasted during the annual Sagra del limone Verdello (festival of the Verdello lemon), held in the month of August.

During ancient times, the town was called "Contrada delli Scarpi" (the shoe district) because of the presence of numerous shoemakers. Subsequently, it was named Aci Catena due to the heartfelt religious devotion towards the Madonna of the Catena.

The towns information is available as of the Greek-Roman era, testified by many archeological remains. The current inhabited center rose approximately during the XVI century, when the Church of the Madonna della Catena was erected.

In 1693, the town was razed to the ground by a terrible earthquake, and only as of 1700 it was slowly rebuilt. The feud was a possession of Prince Luigi Riggio in 1681, and it remained under the ruling of his noble family until the abolition of the feudal regime.

The most architecturally interesting monuments are the Chiesa di S. Filippo d'Agira preserving a beautiful eighteenth century facade by Francesco Battaglia (1701-1778), the Chiesa di S. Giuseppe provided of a big dome, the XVI century Chiesa Madre, the Chiesa di S. Antonio di Padova beholding noteworthy work of art dated 1600, and the Chiesa dell'Eremo di S. Anna and its majolica pavement. Relevant is also the Palazzo Riggio di Campofiorito erected during the XVII century.

One of Aci Catena's famous citizens was the university professor Francesco Guglielmino (1872-1956), a remarkable dialectal poet, and an incredible Greek scholar.