CataniaMascalucia.
A town of late mediaeval origin, it has had various
names: originally it belonged to the royal domain;
after 1645 it was a fief of Andrea Massa and of
the Branciforte family of Leonforte. Destroyed by
an earthquake in 1818, it has grown considerably
in recent years because of its nearness to Catania.
The name is a popular mispronunci ation of maniscalcia
(farriery), recalling that in the Middle Ages the
town was well known for its horse-breeding farms.
In Via Etnea, the main street, are the Chiesa di
St Vitus (with a painting, St Vitus and Artemia,
by Giuseppe Rapisardi) and the Chiesa Madre, which
has a notable lava stone portal and a geometrically
pattemed façade; inside it has a nave and
two aisles divided by pilasters. Palazzo Cirelli
is an example of art nouveau style in the Province
of Catania. The upper part of the town still reflects
its mediaeval origins. The Chiesa di Sant'Antonio
Abate, in the cemetery has a single nave and is
an admirable testimony of 15th c. architecture.
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