Santa Maria di Licodia is a small historic town on the south-western slope of Mount Etna, set at about 442 metres above sea level amid citrus groves, olive trees and vineyards. Its character is rural and traditional, with the volcanic landscape behind it and the Plain of Catania opening below. Rather than an Etna resort, it feels like an inland borgo whose daily rhythm is still closely tied to agriculture, local devotion and the older life of its historic centre.
The town’s identity comes above all from its Benedictine origins. In August 1143, Count Simone di Policastro granted land to the monk Geremia, allowing a new settlement to grow around a monastic community; the privilege was later confirmed by William II of Sicily in 1168. From this medieval nucleus, known through the names Licodia Vetus and later Licodia Nova, the village expanded over time, with much of its present urban shape developing in the Bourbon period.
Its territory is also associated in sources with ancient Inessa, later called Etna, giving Santa Maria di Licodia a distinctive layered memory: monastic, rural and deeply connected to the slopes of the volcano.
Patron Saint:
Saint Joseph (San Giuseppe) – Last Sunday in August
Nearest Airport:
Catania (Fontanarossa) – (23 km, 00:29)
Neighboring Cities:
