CARLENTINI

Carlentini is a city of about 18,000 located in the Siracusa province nearby a peak with splendid views of the Catania plain and Etna volcano. It was founded in 1551 by Vice-King Giovanni de Vega as to accommodate refugees from Lentini. Its name commemorates both that event and the Emperor Charles V. Following the catastrophic earthquake in 1693, there was recorded a remarkable migration from neighboring cities and villages, went destroyed.

Many of the town’s buildings are worth a visit. The Chiesa Madre dedicated to the Immaculate has an elegant interior divided into nave and aisles.

In the city surroundings are interesting sites such as the archaeologic excavations of Leontinoi and the Casa dello Scirocco, a 1700’s house in the Piscitello district, set inside a prehistoric grotto, so-called since it protects against Sirocco’s oppressive heat.