The main hypothesis is that the name of Pedara derives from "Epidaurus", a Greek city with the same environmental characteristics, for example, it'is a point of view of the geographical position "ad Pedes ara" or "Apud aram" in latinum language (at the foot of altar).
The "ara" would be an altar dedicated to Jupiter on the slopes of the Volcano, perhaps the tower of the Philosopher or the Etna itself. From the archaeological finds found in several districts, it can be deduced that the origins of the center date back to the Greek period. From the time of the Norman conquest (12th century) up to the 16th century the inhabited nucleus was administered by the Archiepiscopal Curia of Catania.
In 1641 Domenico Di Giovanni, Prince of Trecastagni, obtained the title of Baron of Pedara from the Spaniards, who entrusted the management of the territory and possessions to the Pappalardo family. It is due to Don Diego Pappalardo (1636 - 1710), a member of the Order of Malta, the economic and artistic development of the country and, in particular, the completion of the current basilica that he dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria.
Until the abolition of feudalism, Pedara remained a fief of the Di Giovanni and their heirs, the Alliata of Villafranca.
In 1818 it was erected as a Municipality of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
THE CITY - MINOR MONUMENTS TO VISIT
The Basilica of Santa Caterina
To the east of Piazza Don Diego stands the imposing facade of the Basilica "S. Caterina", rectangular in shape with dark lava stone, composed by three elegant portals and flanked by a cuspidate tower bell tower. On the side facade, on a marble square of 159x156 cm, a solar clock is drawn, one of the most interesting in Sicily. Inside, in addition to the artistic beauties with which the pillars, vaults and apses are frescoed, there is an important painting entitled "The martyrdom of St. Catherine", attributed to Mattia Preti.
The Pappalardo Baronial Palace
On the Piazza Don Diego there is also the Baronial Palace, the original residence of Don Diego Pappalardo, whose construction dates back to the late 1600s.
The Baronial Palace Di Giovanni
On Corso Ara di Giove there is the Baronial Palace, residence of the Principi Di Giovanni.
Minor monuments and surroundings
Other monuments to remember are the Church of Sant'Antonio, San Biagio, San Vito, Madonna della Stella, Madonna delle Grazie and, placed on a hill at north of the town, the Church of the Annunciation. In addition, in the nineteenth-century building of Corso Ara di Giove 126, the municipal library is located which has a library of about 18,000 volumes with encyclopedic, philosophical, literary, scientific, historical, specialist, for children and adults. The library has a language lab and is recently equipped with a multimedia work in CD-ROM.