Linguaglossa

The history of the name 'Linguaglossa'

The history of Linguaglossa dates back to the times of the Greeks. First the village was named ‘Linguagrossa’ instead of ‘Linguaglossa’. The origins of the name Linguagrossa, express three different ideologies:

Linguagrossa would derive its name from a very ancient character “U ‘zu linguarossa”, or from the old woman miraculously saved by Sant’Egidio, patron of the village, during the eruption of Mount Etna in 1566.
Linguagrossa would derive its name from a big tongue of lava existing nearby, or from the same linguiform conformation of the village.
Linguagrossa would derive its name from the harshness of the language of its residents.

After 1758 Linguagrossa began to take the name of Linguaglossa.

Linguaglossa now

Today Linguaglossa is an important reference point for summer and winter tourism on the northern side of Mount Etna. The town has a very strategic position:

- 550 Mt. of altitude

- Only 19 km from Piano Provenzana

- Only 15 km from the sea of Fiumefreddo di Sicilia.

Also, Linguaglossa is very well known for its flourishing agriculture with the production of Etna doc wine, dop oil, and hazelnuts. In the village you can still find the best craftsmen (blacksmiths, woodworkers, sawmills) of the territory who have handed down from father to son the techniques and the secrets of the local handicraft.

As for the food sector, one of the typical products of the territory of Linguaglossa is “Sasizza o cippu”.

Salsiccia al ceppo di Linguaglossa (Linguaglossa stump sausage) is a specialty handmade by master butchers with selected pork meat, pork lard, natural gut, salt, pepper, and wild fennel seeds from Mount Etna which give it its unmistakable Etnean flavor.

Everything is prepared on a large piece of oak tree trunk “u cippu” which serves as a shelf. And here it is cut into small pieces with the “partituri”, then it is flavored and mixed and finally it is stuffed into a natural casing, and then tied in knots with a natural string.

What to see in Linguaglossa

Among the first things to visit in Linguaglossa we find the churches:

- Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie

- Church of Sant’Egidio

- Church of Carmine

- Church of Santi Antonio e Vito

- Church of Calvario

- Jesus and Mary Church

- San Rocco Church

- San Francesco di Paola Church

- Annunziata Church

Convent of the Capuchins

All these churches preserve architectural and religious beauties of the past centuries.

The murals of Linguaglossa

You can not miss a walk through the streets of the village to admire this open-air art gallery. Among alleys and old houses you can see fabulous “murals” made by great artists, representing stories and traditions of the area.

Fontana dei mori in Villa Milana

For over 50 years the famous Fountain of the Moors of Linguaglossa in Villa Milana, has fascinated visitors more and more. The Fountain of the Moors is appreciated even more during the evening, where water games and lights offer an incredible show, embellished even more by the presence of Etna in the background.

Piazza Vespri Siciliani

For families with children, or those who love to take a walk, you can stop in Piazza dei Vespri Siciliani where you find a beautiful play area for children. Or you can just decide to sit down and relax.

Museum Incorpora – Messina

In the museum you will find works of two great local artists:

- Salvatore Incorpora, sculptor of Calabrian origin but Linguaglossese of adoption, in fact he made Linguaglossa a small capital of the art of the twentieth century.

Francesco Messina, author of the major monuments of the twentieth century of Linguaglossesi origins and then moved to Milan, among the main works we remember “the dying horse” of the RAI.

The ProLoco of Linguaglossa

The Pro Loco is a natural museum of Mount Etna. Inside you find various showcases that preserve the volcanology, fauna, flora, of the Etna volcano.

You will also find a small ethnographic museum about the territory, the shoemaker’s store, the reconstruction of a small winery, a miniature millstone in perfect working order, and finally the showcases of mycology of the Etna volcano.

Accommodations Linguaglossa

The village of Linguaglossa enjoys a unique strategic location, at the foot of the north face of Mount Etna volcano, and close to the Gole dell’Alcantara, the sea, the airport and Taormina. These are the accommodations in Linguaglossa and on Mount Etna volcano that we have personally visited and recommend to you!

- Accommodations Linguaglossa

Monumental cemetery of Linguaglossa

The Cemetery of Linguaglossa is a destination for many tourists because it preserves numerous ancient chapels, monumental statues, imposing family tombs, with a characteristic panorama that overlooks Mount Etna.

Train station F.c.e.

If you want to visit the Etna in an original way, travel with the Circumetnea Railway around the volcano crossing numerous villages, giving travelers picturesque glimpses of this unique landscape.

A ride that will take you back in time, with its slowness that will make you rediscover the ancient pleasure of traveling by train. Climb into the carriage and begin the journey through the lunar landscape between the lava rocks, and fields colored by the flowers of pistachios of Bronte and prickly pears until you reach Catania.

Etna North Excursions

If you are in Linguaglossa you can freely venture on the paths of Mount Etna or choose to make some excursions between craters and lava.

There are several possibilities from Piano Provenzana that allow you to choose how to discover the Etna volcano between caves and nature or between adventure and off road. For the most daring ones, they can choose to stay in some refuge in Piano Provenzana.