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TRA LE PECULIARITA' DI PALAZZOLO:

Palazzolo Acreide (9204 inhabitants, 670 metres above sea level) stands on the eastern side of Acremonte.

This place was choosen by the Siculi to build their own village around the 12th century B.C., before the Syracusans discovered and esteemed it.

According to Tucidide's information, Akrai was the oldest subcolony founded by the Corinthian settlers around 663-664 B.C., seventy years after the foundation of Siracusa, in a strategic position on the top of the Iblean mountains, between the upper valleys of Anapo and Tellaro rivers to oversee a broad part of the Sicilian territory.

There are many quotations by ancient historians and writers which refer to the Akrai role in important events of the Sicilian history.

Akrai reaches its apogee during the wise ruling of Hieron II (306-215 B.C.).

Akrai was politically subject to its motherland Siracusa, in fact the only Akrai,s bronze coin (called Akraion) dates back 241-212 B.C., when Sicily was under Roman rule.

AKRAION COIN

Akrai was indicated as "civitas stipendaria" by Plinius, meaning a town enforced to pay a fixed tribute to Rome.

The information sources of Akrai have no records of the imperial period.

During the Byzantine age, Akrai was proclaimed "the most important Christian centre of eastern Sicily after Siracusa" and this is witnessed by the great number of catacomb found in its territory (S. Lucia di Mendola, Bibinello).

Akrai was destroyed by the Arab army of Ased Ibn Al forat around 827 A.C., and every trace of the ancient town was lost for centuries.

The population built a new town lower down from Akrai on the eastern slope of the hill.

This new city was first mentioned in 1145 by the geographer Edrisi who called it Balansùl or Palatiolum when the Norman King William II, granted the territory of Palatiolum to Stephen the Hermit. After that, Palazzolo was often cited in papal bulls, feudal and barony documents.

Only by the end of the '500, thanks to the studies of Tommaso Fazello, the ancient site of Akrai was identified.

The Castle of Palazzolo, built on a rock dominating the Anapo Valley, dates back to the Norman period. There are only a few ruins of this superb castle which was destroyed in the 1693 earthquake with most of the town and which was the home of the Alagona barons and other lords.

The town was rebuilt in the 18th century and the late original Baroque style of architecture blends with 19th and early 20th century architecture. 

By CAR:

Da Siracusa percorrendo la SS.114 "Mare Monti"

By BUS:

Dal terminal di Siracusa con le autolinee AST
Tel. centralino 0931-462711
Tel. informazioni 0931-464820

Aeroporto più vicino:

Catania

RELIGIOUS CELEBRATIONS

 

Saint Paul:
25 January - 29 June

Saint Sebastian:
20 January - 10 August

Our Lady of Sorrows:
The 3rd sunday in September

Saint Michael the Arcangel:
The 1st sunday in October

The celebrations include:
- Procession of the Saint's simulacrum;
- concerts by various bands and musical entertainment;
- artistic illumination, fireworks and blazes of light;
- two tipical traditions including the "bare shoulder" and the "journey barefoot". The male faithfuls carry on the naked shoulder the simulacrum of the saint and female faithfuls follow it, completely barefooted which represent the dissolution of a vow for a favour granted by the saints.

During the Christmas time in the old town centre you can admire a circuite of cribs and a live crib. In Popolo's Square snd Umberto I Square you can find largest Christmas trees.

Carnival is very lively in Palazzolo Acreide and is one of the oldest in Sicily. As well as the parade of the allegorical cars and groups dressed up, you may taste in various food festival's the tipical Palazzolo's food products like the sausage, trout pastry, macaroni, cavatieddi (a tipical local pasta) and cannoli.

Every year, during May, at the greek theatre many groups of highschool students from all over Italy and the rest of Europe perform tragedies and comedy by classical authors.

During the summer Palazzolo Acreide offers a series of cultural events like music, concerts, shows and exhibitions like the classical theatre, the dialect theatre and other events in the centre of the city.

Greek Theatre
of Palazzolo Acreide

XLI Classical Theatre cicle

11-14 may 2005

READ MORE

Greek Theatre
of Palazzolo Acreide

International Youth Festival
of Classical Theatre

XIII Edition

10-30 may 2007

READ MORE

Cantieri Multimediali

Centro Studi Iblei

Istituto Studi Acrensi