Alimena between rivers, stone and history

Alimena is a Sicilian town for travelers who want to combine landscape, history, and regional traditions. Between rivers, historic churches, white stone buildings, and festive customs, you will find a variety of starting points for an individual trip: architecture, local cuisine, cycling, and hiking.

Landscape and stone of Alimena

Alimena lies in the catchment area between the Salso River and its tributary, the Imera Meridionale, at the foot of the Balza d’Areddula at an altitude of 1,007 m. The Balza Edera, also known as Balza Areddula, is considered a broad natural terrace with views across Sicily; it was once inhabited by the Sicani. Behind Alimena, high-quality limestone was formerly quarried at Balza Areddula using explosives. The extracted stone blocks were divided into smaller elements, roughly worked, and transported down to Alimena by mule; each mule was loaded with two blocks weighing approximately 50 kg each.

Historic center and churches

Houses and palazzi made of the white stone typical of Alimena have been preserved in the historic center. These include Palazzo Calabrese, which was built according to a design by the engineer Utveggio. Alimena was founded on February 21, 1628, by Antonio Alimena under a concession from the Spanish King Philip IV. In 1629, Antonio Alimena built the first church, dedicated to S.M. Maddalena; due to population growth, Vincenzo del Bosco had the new Chiesa Madre built opposite the Marchese’s palace in 1723.

The Chiesa Madre is a Baroque church built in 1724, with a bell tower from the same period; its altars are enriched with paintings from the 18th century. The Chiesa del Convento di S.Maria di Gesù was begun in 1731 at the request of Vincenzo del Bosco, Prince of Belvedere, and completed in 1738. Chiesa di Sant’Alfonso was originally an octagonal Spanish watchtower built around 1600 on Colle Quisisana and was converted into a church in 1837 at the request of the people of Alimena.

Traditions, specialties, and festivals

Traditional products from Alimena include typical sweets for Easter and Christmas, as well as artisanally produced salumi. The feast of Santa Lucia on December 13 includes a tasting of savory cuccia. The Sagra del Ficodindia takes place in Alimena in September. The Settimana Santa di Alimena includes an evening procession on Good Friday; during the Holy Week procession, orally transmitted lamenti are sung to commemorate important moments of the Passion of Christ.

From August 29 to September 2, Alimena hosts a street fair with sales stands along the Corso principale and in Via Palermo, Via Roma, Via Catania, and Via Vittorio Emanuele.

Cycling routes, hiking stages, and getting there

For cycling travelers, Sentiero 58 leads from Petralia Soprana to Alimena via a 25 km MTB descent along the riverbed of the Imera Meridionale or Salso. On foot, the 16th stage of the Antica Trasversale Sicula between Vallelunga Pratameno and Villapriolo passes through Alimena and reaches the town via Portella San Filippo. By car, Alimena can be reached from Palermo or Catania via the A19 Palermo–Catania motorway and the Resuttano exit.

More destinations: Villagrazia, Partinico, Lercara Friddi, Gratteri, Bolognetta, Cefalù, Ventimiglia Di Sicilia, Isola Delle Femmine

For the higher-level travel overview: Palermo.