Aidone, Sicily; a town in the south of Sicily

Visit Aidone

The Sicilian town of Aidone is situated in the southern part of the centre of the island and close to the important historical town and archaeolgical site of Morgantina. The town was badly affected by an earthquake in 1693 and a lot of the architecture reflects the baroque style, popular when the town was being rebuilt in the early 18th century.

Explore Aidone

Aidone is an impressive town as you arrive, overlooked by a large church and covering the side of a hill.

Among the highlights in Aidone itself there are numerous churches to admire, too numerous for all their highlights to be listed here. Some of the best include:

The Church of San Leone (11th - 17th century) in Piazza Umberto was originally built with stone taken from the historical site at Morgantina. It was damaged in the 1693 earthquake and rebuilt in baroque style.
The facade of the Church of San Domenico with its ornate decoration
The Church of Saint Anne (17th century) and with some fine paintings and a carved wooden crucifix from the same period, and an altar decorated with inlaid marble
The Cathedral Church of St. Lorenzo, also much reconstructed after the earthquake although the older portal, in Gothic style, remains.
The church of Sant'Antonio Abate was originally a mosque, subsequently converted by the Normans into a church. The 'previous life' of the church can still be seen in the pointed arched doorway (now blocked) and the small slits in the walls. A 16th century fresco has recently been discovered in the church.

Other highlights in Aidone include the ruins of the medieval Pietratagliata castle, a lookout position dating from the Arab-Norman period, and the ruins of Erbitea.

Many artifacts from the site of Morgantina (the predecessor town to Aidone) can be seen in the Museum at Aidone.

Where to visit near to Aidone?

The Villa Romana del Casale is nearby and is a huge villa full of magnificent Roman mosaics. It is definitely not to be missed whilst you are here. The villa is in the town of Piazza Armerina which is a pleasant town with a few buildings of interest to see.

You can find more local travel ideas in the South-East Sicily guide,