The patroness of Motta Sant'Anastasia is Saint Anastasia, celebrated on 25 August. Several hypotheses exist regarding the origin of the town's name: according to some scholars, «Motta», a Norman term, and «Anastasia», a Greek-Byzantine name, were brought together between the 12th and 14th centuries, when the townspeople united in devotion and worship of the saint, patroness of the town.
The oldest part of the settlement was built on a neck, a volcanic rock formation shaped by a long and intense eruption dating back 550,000 years. Since the time of Dionysius, tyrant of Syracuse, Motta played a significant role as a lookout and defensive stronghold, a role that grew further under Norman rule, when Roger I of Hauteville had a tower built there to guard the entrance to the plain of Catania and protect the Norman holdings from Saracen raids. The castle, a rectangular-plan donjon 21 metres high, was built between 1070 and 1074 at the will of Count Roger the Norman; in 1526 the town became a fief of Antonio III Moncada, count of Adernò, and for four centuries, until 1900, the stronghold was used essentially as a prison. Motta Sant'Anastasia is today also known for its tradition of flag-throwers, among the historic events recognised as Italian cultural heritage by the Italian Federation of Flag-Throwers.
