ACIREALE, DIOCESE OF. - A city situated in eastern Sicily, 16 km from Catania. The present site dates back to the early 14th century, originally called Aci; it gained considerable importance during the 16th century and in 1642 received from Philip IV the name Acireale.
Among the sacred monuments of the city, the following are particularly noteworthy: the characteristic church of St. Sebastian, with a rich Baroque façade (1705), preceded by a balustrade with ten statues by G. B. Marino; inside, notable frescoes and a painting of the Pietà by P. P. Vasta, the finest painter of the Sicilian school, and the Cathedral with its modern façade by G. B. Basile and its portal by P. Blandamonte (1667); inside, frescoes by Vasta in the transept, by G. Sciuti in the central vault, and by A. Filocamo (1711) in the Baroque chapel of St. Venera. Other fine works by Vasta are found in the churches of the Madonna, St. Anthony, the Crucifix, and the Suffrage. In the town hall (17th century) is the Accademia degli Zelanti, which houses a rich library (100,000 volumes), a picture gallery, and an archaeological museum. Today Acireale is also the center of numerous educational institutions run by religious orders, among which the Pennisi College, with a meteorological observatory directed by the Jesuits, is notable.
The diocese is of recent institution, having been created by Gregory XVI in June 1844. The first bishop, Monsignor Gerlando Genuardi, who governed the diocese until 1907, was appointed in 1872. The jurisdiction of the bishop of Acireale extends over 14 communes in the province of Catania, with 91 parishes, 235 diocesan priests, and 98 regular clergy. The population is 167,000, mostly Catholic.