Strawberry Festival in Maletto

La Strawberry Festival in Maletto, is one of the most important events of the summer in the town: in the month of June, the small town in the Metropolitan City of Catania is filled with tourists and visitors, who reach the center to take part in the festival, joining the locals.

For decades now, the northern side of Etna has been the epicenter of the celebration of the red fruit par excellence, the strawberry, which grows luxuriant in these parts thanks to the wooded lands and the numerous water reserves; a perfect area for strawberry cultivation and at the same time attractive to tourists, thanks to its natural beauty.

At the festival you will find many stands that will offer you delicious tastings of fresh strawberries, in seedlings, in boxes and prepared according to special local recipes, but you can also purchase the typical species of the area, such as the "reblooming strawberry".

The history of the Strawberry Festival in Maletto

The Strawberry Festival was born in 1986, over thirty years ago, with the aim of letting the public taste the delicious local product.

Strawberries, colorful and very tasty, became the leading product of the local economy during the twentieth century, since in the second half of the century, the land in the area was used for the first time for the cultivation of strawberries.
Today the soil and climate that characterize this area are perfect for the production of the delicious fruit, which is offered to visitors every year during the tastings of the festival.

When the Strawberry Festival takes place in Maletto

In the month of June, the Strawberry Festival is held in Maletto: the 5, 6 and 7 June the meeting is in the heart of the town, almost a thousand meters above sea level.

Where the Strawberry Festival takes place in Maletto

Maletto, in the Metropolitan City of Catania, is located in eastern Sicily. In the town, the stands of the festival are scattered around the main squares and the most important streets of the centre.

What to do during the Strawberry Festival in Maletto

During the festival you will have the opportunity to taste the freshest strawberries and all the tastiest preparations that can be made with strawberries; taste them all!

While tasting these delights, take the opportunity to also discover the beauties of the place: with a walk in the centre, through the streets set up with festival stand, you can visit many religious buildings, for example the Mother Church of Maletto, dedicated to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, inside which you can admire beautiful sacred paintings from the eighteenth century, or the Church of Sant'Antonio da Padova dedicated to Patron Saint of the country; furthermore, there is one in the centre Church dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, an a San Giuseppe and one a San Micheal.

Among the civil buildings, you can admire the Palace of the Spadafora Princes and medieval castle Manfredi Maletta. Anyone who wants to know all the history of the area can go to Salvo Nibali Civic Museum and by following the educational paths set up in the rooms of the Museum, you will be able to reconstruct the timeline that has reached us from the XNUMXth millennium BC.

The largest city that can be reached in a short time from Maletto is Catania, with just over an hour's journey, while for a stop on the beach, head towards Taormina to the East or towards Capo d'Orlando to the North, after passing the Nebrodi Park: the beauties of nature are certainly not lacking in a stay in Maletto.

Finally, enjoy the best traditional Sicilian dishes, starting with aubergine caponata, prawn and mint salad and marinara risotto; as dessert, you will find the best desserts of the island's cuisine, from cassata to almond paste.

How to get to the Strawberry Festival in Maletto

Maletto is located approximately 960 meters above sea level in the Metropolitan City of Catania. The town can be easily reached by car or train.

Who prefers to travel in the car, you can take the A18 Messina-Catania taking the exit for Fiumefreddo, (29 km from the centre); who prefers the train, you can get off at the Giarre-Riposto station, 30 km from Maletto, connected by buses and shuttles.