Militello in Val di Catania


Militello in Val di Catania is a comune in the Metropolitan City of Catania in the Italian region of Sicily, located about southeast of Palermo and about southwest of Catania, on the last slopes of the Hyblaean Mountains. It has a railway station on the line Catania-Caltagirone-Gela. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia.
WWW comune.militello.ct.it

History

Despite remains of prehistorical settlements and legends of a Roman foundation, the first mention of Militello dates from 1000 AD, when it became a marquisate under the Cammarana.
The golden age of Militello was during the early 17th century, under the government of Prince Francesco Branciforte. The city was destroyed by an earthquake in 1693, but the subsequent restoration added numerous architectural and artistic works of art.

Monuments and places of interest

In 2002, UNESCO recognized the Val di Noto as a World Heritage Site, including, in addition to Militello in Val di Catania, the cities of Caltagirone, Catania, Modica, Noto, Palazzolo Acreide, Ragusa, and Scicli, the so-called "Late Baroque Cities of the Val di Noto."

Churches

Palaces

  • Barresi Branciforte Castle, with the Fountain of the Nymph Zizza
  • Palazzo Baldanza-Denaro
  • Palazzo Niceforo
  • Palazzo Baldanza
  • Palazzo Majorana della Nicchiara

Demographic evolution


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Foreign ethnicities and minorities

There were 73 foreigners residing in Militello as of 1 January 2025, representing 1.1% of the resident population. The largest foreign community is that from Romania, with 43.8% of all foreigners present in the area.

Culture

Since 2022, the city has been part of the First World Mediterranean Lifestyle Park project, along with 103 other cities in central Sicily.

Schools and education

  • State Comprehensive School "Pietro Carrera". Includes: Preschool, Elementary School, and Middle School. Upper Secondary Education. Includes: AFM, BTS and the Art School.
  • Angelo Majorana" Municipal Library. Established in 1910, its founder was Giuseppe Musumeci Ristagno, Head of Education. It holds approximately 40,000 volumes, including an antique collection of over 2,000 volumes dating from the late 15th to the early 20th century. Added to this is a rich collection of vinyl records, CDs, and video cassettes housed in the multimedia room. Approximately 2,500 users are registered for borrowing. Particularly valuable are: an incunabulum from 1498 and thirty-one sixteenth-century editions, including twenty-two Venetian editions, two from Lyon, one from Palermo and one from Naples.

Museums and galleries

  • Civic Museum and Historical Archive "Sebastiano Guzzone".
  • Museum of Sacred Art "San Nicolò".
  • Treasury of Santa Maria della Stella. Inaugurated in 1995, it displays numerous precious works of art: sacred silver furnishings from the parish church and its branch churches;

Natural areas

  • Ossena Waterfalls: these are natural waterfalls located south of the Militello area, bordering the Francofonte area. These waterfalls are fed by the waters of the Oxena stream, which flows through the northeastern Hyblaean Mountains.

Media

Theaters and cinemas

In 1942, the "Tempio" Cine Teatro finally saw the light of day, designed by Antonio Portuso, a surveyor from Militello, whose style was inspired by the Italian Rationalism of the time. The "Tempio" Theater was the heart of the city's cultural and artistic life until the late 1990s, when, now in disrepair, it was purchased by the Province of Catania, which radically transformed it into a new opera and drama theater designed by architect Giorgio Potenza. It has recently regained its role as an important cultural infrastructure for the city.

Radio, television, and curiosities

The local radio station is Radio Venere Milutello, founded in 1978 with the contribution of several enthusiasts, which broadcasts on 92.40 MHz. It is also received in neighboring municipalities and can be streamed on the station's website. In the past, there was a local television station, Radio Audizioni Militello, which closed in the first half of the 1990s. The television host Pippo Baudo was born in Militello.

Notable people