The patroness of Itala is the Madonna della Lettera, celebrated on 3 June.
With the arrival of the Normans in the 11th century, Itala, like much of Sicily, came under their control; later, during Swabian rule, the town continued to develop thanks to its strategic position. During this period the church of Saints Peter and Paul was built, a significant example of Arab-Norman architecture: although the exact date the works began is not known, a donation act of 1093 to the church's first abbot, Gerasimo, attests that construction had not yet been completed by that date, though it is easy to suppose it was finished in the following year, as shown by a donation charter of the same Count Roger. The town's name underwent various changes over the centuries, becoming Quitala, Gitalas, Gytalas, Kitala, Hitala, and finally Itala.
