Belpasso, part of the Metropolitan City of Catania, is a town on the southern slopes of Mount Etna, in the vicinity of the Simeto River. It is a place that combines the power of Mount Etna, snow-capped peaks, the crystal clear sea of the Ionian coast, historical and archaeological heritage, food and wine traditions, and popular music. A hospitable place that welcomes tourists all year round. There are so many places to see, starting with religious architecture, such as the Church of Santa Maria Immacolata, or the town cathedral in the “Matrice” district in which a Crucifixion of Christ (known as a “Tila”), a large canvas painted in 1896 by painter Zenone Lavagna and left unfinished, is exhibited every year from Palm Sunday to Easter. The path continues with the Church of St. Anthony of Padua (second half of the 18th century) and the Church of St. Leo (San Leo district), which is a shrine built on the site of the alleged apparitions of Our Lady of the Rock. Among the civil architecture, the Cisterna della Regina, a villa probably remodeled in the 17th and 19th centuries and of which little remains of the original construction, deserves attention. Other places of interest are the mud volcanoes known as the Salinelle di San Biagio. Deeply felt in the village are the cultural roots related to annual events and culinary traditions. In mid-December the Feast of St. Lucy takes place with the “tredicina”, floats (from the town's 5 Quarters: Matrice, Sant'Antonio, Purgatorio, San Rocco and Borrello), and “cantatas” by the “Young Singers” of the Matrice, Sant'Antonio and Purgatorio Quarters. On this occasion, emigrants also return to the town, ready to join in the enthusiasm and devotion of their families. The third Sunday in September the Madonna della Guardia is celebrated in the Borrello Quarter, with evocative processions. Finally, it is worth discovering Belpassese gastronomy, which draws its origins from peasant culture but with strong Greek, Roman, French, Spanish and Arab influences. Among the first courses, pastas with legumes, wild fennel, broccoli, cauliflower, and asparagus are characteristic. Among the main courses, however, the following are worth trying: veal “agrassata” with onion, tomato and parsley; ‘falsomagro’ (chop stuffed with minced meat, eggs, cheese, onion and herbs); baked lamb; sweet and sour rabbit; sarde a beccafico (stuffed sardines); and marinated “masculini” (anchovies). Among desserts, vanilla almond cookies and granitas are not to be missed, while the Christmas and Easter traditions include fried “raviole” filled with ricotta, cassatele, prickly pear mustard, stuffed “mustazzoli” and “u ciciliu”. Between typical cuisine, religious events and historical monuments, Sicily offers the best in Belpasso.