Discover Belpasso: Culture, Lava Stone and Hiking Trails

Belpasso presents Sicily in a special way: the town brings together devotion to its patron saint Santa Lucia, distinctive buildings, lava stone as an artistic material, and a nature and anthropology trail. Those looking for a combination of culture, walks and regional traditions during their stay will find several different points of interest here.

Historic Buildings and Devotion to Santa Lucia

A striking testament to the local history is the Campanone di Santa Lucia. The bell was made in 1815 and weighs more than 8,000 kilograms. Santa Lucia is the patron saint of Belpasso; every year on December 13, she is commemorated with religious celebrations and civic events. This date is therefore one of the cultural traditions firmly rooted in the town's life.

Characteristic details can also be seen in the palazzi. The Palazzo Scrofani is distinguished by a wrought-iron balcony and a lava stone portal. The Palazzo dei Baroni Bufali di Santa Lucia features stone mascarons, carved details and a corner balcony. This architectural picture is complemented by the Teatro Comunale, a late-19th-century building in the Neoclassical style. Its façade is made of white stone and lava stone.

Lava Stone as a Route Through the Town

The “Città delle 100 Sculture” project makes art visible in the urban space. Several dozen lava stone sculptures were installed along the streets of Belpasso in 2016, forming a sculpture trail. The visitor route leads from Piazza S. Antonio along Via Roma to Giardino Martoglio and onward to Piazza Stella Aragona. This makes it possible to experience the use of lava stone not only at a single building, but along a fixed sequence of stops.

The project also includes regularly organized public sculpture symposiums, which are international in scope as well. They are open to artists who create their works from lava stone on site. For visitors, the trail thus forms part of a project encompassing both finished sculptures and the ongoing artistic work with this material.

The Sentiero 786 in the Northern Part of the Municipal Area

Those who would like to plan a longer route in addition to exploring the town's sights can consider the Sentiero 786. The nature and anthropology trail leads from Belpasso to the Rifugio Monte Manfrè mountain refuge, crossing parts of the northern municipal area of Belpasso. It is 15 km long, has an elevation difference of 800 m from the starting point to the destination, and includes ten stations. Along the route, information boards provide details about places of interest.

Festivals, Harvest and Local Traditions

Another facet of local life is shown by the Sagra del Ficodindia dell’Etna DOP. It reached its tenth edition and began as a grassroots initiative marking the end of the harvest. Over time, it developed into an event that combines celebration, culture and agricultural promotion.

The tradition surrounding Santa Lucia also has a visible and elaborately designed aspect. During the so-called “spaccata,” the “Carri di Santa Lucia,” large mechanical structures, are opened in Piazza Duomo and Piazza Umberto. Santa Lucia's float usually reaches a height of more than twelve meters.

For further research, you can also view Carlentini, Gravina di Catania, Ramacca, Santo Pietro, Pedara, Santa Tecla, Misterbianco and Sant'alfio.

To the main travel overview: Catania.