The patroness of Scaletta Zanclea is Our Lady of Mount Carmel, celebrated on 16 July.
The town is dominated by its castle, which belonged to the Ruffo princes, where Macalda di Scaletta (c. 1240 - c. 1308), baroness of Ficarra and wife of Alaimo di Lentini, one of the protagonists of the Sicilian Vespers, was born and spent her early youth: several popular tales about the stronghold are tied to her bold, legend-shrouded figure. The municipal coat of arms depicts precisely the castle, perched on the highest point of a cliff, together with the Ruffo fountain, topped by a white marble sculpture of a sea horse.
