Biancavilla is a small historic town northwest of Catania, set on a lava-rock plateau on the slopes of Mount Etna and looking out over the Simeto Valley. Its setting gives it a distinctly Etnean character: volcanic ground, nearby wooded areas, natural springs and lava caves all form part of the landscape around the town.
Its identity is closely tied to a Greek-Albanian, or Arbëreshë, origin. The present settlement was founded in the late 15th century by Albanian refugees who arrived after the Turkish invasion of Albania; in 1488 Gian Tommaso Moncada, Count of Adernò, obtained the privilege to establish it. Earlier names such as Callicari, Pojo Rosso and Casale dei Greci reflect the layered memory of the place before it became Biancavilla in 1599, reportedly in honor of Queen Bianca di Navarra.
Today Biancavilla remains marked by religious tradition, local historical memory and its position within the wider Etna landscape. What makes it distinctive is this combination of volcanic setting and Albanian foundation story, a Sicilian town whose present character still carries the trace of a 15th-century refugee community.
Patron Saint:
Santa Maria dell’Elemosina – 4 and 5 October
Nearest Airport:
Catania (Fontanarossa) – (29 km, 00:35)
