Perched halfway up the slopes of Mount Sant’Elia at an altitude of 400 meters above sea level, Casalvecchio lies approximately 20 km from Giardini Naxos.
Founded during the Byzantine era by monks from Syria and Egypt, the town boasts an impressive architectural heritage as well as extensive woodlands managed by the Forestry Department.
Notable buildings include the 17th-century Mother Church—featuring an artistic coffered ceiling, decorative corbels, and an adjoining museum of sacred artifacts—as well as the Church of San Nicolò and the Church of the Annunziata (both dating back to the 16th century) and the 17th-century Church of San Teodoro.
However, the true “jewel” of Casalvecchio’s heritage is the Church of Saints Peter and Paul d’Agrò (SS. Pietro e Paolo d’Agrò), which dates back to around 560 AD. Built by Basilian monks—hence the name “Basilian” church—it was destroyed and looted during Arab rule before being rebuilt in the Norman era. These renovations were superimposed upon the existing structure, creating a fascinating synthesis of the original Byzantine, Arab, and Norman artistic elements. The Basilian church stands unexpectedly like a solitary sentinel in a clearing in the Contura district (follow the signs from the junction at Santa Teresa di Riva along the provincial road toward Antillo).