Paternò, located on the scope of a basaltic cliff, was inhabited since the Neolithic Age; however the first inhabited center was founded during the Norman domination in the XI century. The rise continued under the Swabians; soon after a slow decline began and finished in 1453, when the powerful family of Moncada became the landowner of the area.
Architecturally speaking, the most interesting monuments are the Chiesa Madre erected in 1342, the Chiesa di S. Francesco of 1346, preserving a Gothic apse, the Chiesa di Cristo al Monte built in the XVI century, typically baroque, and the Chiesa della Gancia erected in 1072 by will of the countess Adelasia, preserving a beautiful Gothic portal. The Norman Castle built in 1073 by count Ruggero is relevant as well, subsequently restructured many times.