The patron saints of Venetico are Saint Nicholas of Bari, bishop, patron of Venetico Superiore and celebrated on 6 December, and Our Lady of Mount Carmel, patroness of Venetico Marina, celebrated on 16 July. The mother church of San Nicolò, from the early 16th century, holds on its 1792 central altar a 1625 painting called the Holy Face, which tradition holds to be a faithful, Church-authorised copy of the cloth placed over Jesus's face after his death: on 6 August the painting is carried in procession through Venetico Superiore, and upon reaching Piazza Immacolata it blesses the inhabitants of Venetico and Valdina.
The earthquake of 28 December 1908, which almost entirely destroyed Messina and Reggio Calabria, causing around a hundred thousand deaths, devastated many churches and bell towers in Venetico and severely damaged the medieval castle; the mother church survived because the parish priest of the time had, shortly before, providentially had iron bands fitted as structural reinforcement, which allowed it to withstand the tremors.
