Pedara (
Catania Province) is 15 km from
Catania, alt. 610 m, on the southern side of
Mt. Etna, in the area of the minor volcanic cones of the Monti Rossi in the saddle between the cones of Monte Troina and Tre Monti, area 19.2 sq km, with a population of over 8,800, post-code 95030, tel. 095. Economy: vineyards, timber, tourism.
The town belonged first to the Senate of Catania, and after 1642 to Domenico di Giovanni of Messina. It later belonged to the Senate (again) and then the Di Giovannis (again), then to the Alliata di Villafranca family. Then it belonged to the Pappalardo family, who built two baronial palaces in the 18th century, one in the square and the other in the Corso Ara di Giove.
The name of hte town comes from the Latin "lapidaria" (stone), which in this area is hard and dark, but made so fertile over the years that it now produces a well-known and much appreciated wine (the town's main financial resource).
The countryside outside of town is full of chestnut trees and vineyards, wonderful for picnics!
Churches (
Catania Diocese) include the following:
Santa Caterina di Alessandria V.M. (Chiesa Madre; rebuilt after the earthquake in 1693)
San Antonio Abate
On the second Sunday in September is the Festa of Maria Santissima Annunziata. There is a Festival of Mushrooms held here in October.
Families researched in these records include the following:MusumarraTomasello
Links to sites with more about Pedara include:
Italian Wikipedia
Italian Towns
Italian Postal Codes
Sicily Web
Pedara Photos
Pedara
Catania Provincia
Sicilia
Sicilian Net
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