The  warm town of Sant'Alfio rises on top of a hill and overlooks the entire Sicilian East coast, from Taormina to Augusta.
The town was founded during the 17th Century. Its historical centre is characterised by narrow streets and majestic palaces.
The Mother Church, situated in Piazza Duomo, is an imposing church whose façade is made of lava stone. Characteristics of the Mother Church are the marble altars and the precious altarpieces. One of them portrays the martyrdom of the three Patron Saints: Alfio,Filadelfo and Cirino.
Another important religious building is the Chiesa del Calvario (Calvary Church), built during the 19th Century. The staircase made fromlava stone is a masterpiece of art, and inside the church, the wooden altars are a testimony of the refined skills of the artisans who worked on them.
Two other remarkable churches are the Chiesetta Magazzeni and the Chiesa di Nucifori. The former was built in 1958  was built as a sacred symbol for the lucky escape of the town from the 1928 Etna violent eruption.
During that event, the lava reached the outskirts of the town. Part of the population sought refuge in the Mother Church to pray to God and the Patron Saints, while the rest of them went on procession towards Magazzeni carrying with them the Patrons' Holy Relics and praying for Sant'Alfio. The lava stopped its flow and, the morning after, another eruption destroyed the nearby town of Mascali. This coincidence was interpreted as something miraculous.
The Chiesa di Nucifori was built in the parish of the same name, by the will of its inhabitants, whose love towards the Madonna di Tindari had always been celebrated through pilgrimages towards the town of Tindari. They decided to build the Church on her name by raising money without any public funding.
Sant'Alfio has developed thanks to the vine plantations and the production of a delicate wine which has been served on the tables of the Knights of Malta and the English Generals.
Nowadays the town is still very well-known for the production of wine, for the trails along Mount Etna and for the Hundred Horse Chestnut.

To get a better taste of Sant'Alfio, we suggest you to try its typical delicacies, like its almond and pistachio paste and the orange and lemon-flavored paste, easily found around the historical centre.

Some of the best restaurants to visit are just a few steps away from the Residence:

- Ristorante “Sicilia Nostra”, Via Cast. Cento Cavalli, 3

- Pizzeria “Al Pino”, via Etna 44, Sant'Alfio

- Trattoria-Pizzeria “Profumi dell’Etna, da Rosalba”, Strada provinciale Milo-Lingualglossa, 15 Montarsi

- “L'Antica Taverna del Castagno“, Via Castagno 100 Cavalli 22

- “Ristorante Pizzeria Castagno dei Cento Cavalli“, Via Fossapoliti Taverna 11

- “Chiosco Bar Caffè Cento Cavalli“, Piazzale Cento Cavalli