The main patroness of Militello in Val di Catania is Mary Most Holy of the Star, celebrated on 8 September. The Normans are credited with the first signs of building activity in the town, such as the church of Santa Maria, later becoming Santa Maria della Stella, built against the ravine together with an adjoining keep-tower. The terrible earthquake of 11 January 1693 destroyed the old basilica, today called Santa Maria la Vetere; the present distinguished sanctuary was built from 1722 and opened for worship in 1741, with a harmonious, richly carved façade designed by the architect Giuseppe Ferrara da Palazzolo Acreide, flanked by a mighty bell tower.
Around the patroness's feast an old fair was held, established in 1446 by privilege of the King of Sicily Alfonso I of Aragon: it was a free fair held from 6 to 13 September, among the most important and richest in the Kingdom of Sicily, able to draw merchants from across the island, before progressively losing importance in the 19th century until it disappeared in the early 20th. The town's period of greatest splendour came between the 16th and 18th centuries, under the lordship of the Branciforte family, who ruled it from 1571, after the marriage between marchioness Caterina Barresi and Fabrizio Branciforte, until the abolition of feudalism in 1812: among the most important foundations of Marquis Francesco Branciforte is the grandiose monastery of San Benedetto, from 1616, the beating heart of the town's economic and cultural life. For the richness of its artistic and monumental heritage, Militello obtained UNESCO recognition in 2002.
