Centuripe

Centuripe is a historic hill town in Sicily, set high on a ridge with sweeping views across the valleys of the Salso, Dittaino and Simeto, with Mount Etna rising over the wider landscape. Its position has earned it the name “Balcony of Sicily”, while its unusual urban outline, often compared to a swallow with outstretched wings, gives the town a form as distinctive as its setting.

The town’s identity reaches back to the 8th century BC, when it was founded by the Siculi. Known in antiquity as Greek Kentòripa and Latin Cantùripae, it later carried the name Centorbi until 1863. Centuripe became an important centre in the Roman period, especially between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD, and its long history continued through Byzantine, Arab, Swabian, Angevin and feudal phases.

After earlier destruction, the town was rebuilt in 1548 by Francesco Moncada, Count of Adernò, giving its historic core a 16th-century structure that still follows the ridges of the hill. Today, Centuripe stands out for the way its panoramic landscape, ancient memory and artisan culture remain closely tied to the shape and story of the town itself.