Randazzo (pronounced with the accent on the second “a”) is a quiet and peaceful town on the island of Sicily, located at the northern foot of the Etna volcano. It is located at 765 m above sea level in the valley of the Alcantara River and is a strategic crossroads between the provinces of Catania, Messina and Enna. In the past, the city has suffered damage and destruction several times as a result of earthquakes and lava flows. For the most part, the streets and buildings of the city are built of blocks of volcanic rock.
We spent a few hours exploring and getting to know the town. We had some initial plan, but we also improvised a bit on the spot. Here I present to you the most interesting sights in Randazzo that we saw.
Where is Randazzo and how to get there
Randazzo is located 65 km north of Catania and 194 km southeast of Palermo. You can go there by car, by bus, or by train.
There was no problem with parking in Randazzo. We found a place here in a small square on the main street Via Giuzeppe Bonaventura, not far from the historic center. And it was free.
Sightseeing in Randazzo and our walk
In the city you can walk along wide and very narrow streets and see interesting buildings. The dark color of the buildings, obtained with the participation of cooled lava, prevails. Here are some interesting sights in Randazzo that we visited.
We started with the Aragonese Gate (Porta Aragonese) and the fortress wall next to it. Then we continued along the street straight to the 13th-century cathedral Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta, the main landmark of the city. It is largely built of black volcanic stones.
In front of the cathedral is the cathedral square, with benches on one side, and right opposite the cathedral is a pastry shop with very delicious pastries and cakes (Pasticceria Santo Musumeci). We sat there for coffee, pastries and cakes, topped with a solid amount of pistachios. We liked them so much that we took some home. The prices were quite reasonable.
Thus supported, we headed towards the Church of St. Nicholas (Chiesa Parrocchiale di San Nicolò) – a massive church also from the 13th century. From the Porta Aragonese to here we walked more or less straight.
After exploring the church, we turned left onto the Street of the Arches (Via Degli Archi) – one of the oldest streets in the city. It is short and narrow. Walking along it, we stepped on old lava cobblestones and passed under 4 arches.
The street leads to a square, and behind it stands the Town hall (Comune di Randazzo). It is shaped around a rectangular courtyard with a beautiful portico, which reminded me of the arcades of Bologna.
From the building we turned left along the street, then right along this one and then left again, our goal now being to get to the car. So we accidentally came across the remains of a very old church called “St. George”. It is on the street of the same name “Via S. Gregorio”.
According to the information plaque in front of it, the temple dates back to the 16th century, but was destroyed during World War II.
On the way back from Randazzo, we stopped to see a small, lonely wall, left over from a former house, and a lot of solidified lava from the eruption of Etna in 1981. This place is located very close to Randazzo, right at the fork towards the Etna volcano.
