The patron saint of Montelepre is the Most Holy Crucifix, celebrated on the last Sunday of June. The town's history begins in classical times, when ancient Hyccara was a military ally of Selinunte, Catania and Syracuse and was for this reason attacked by the Athenians: some inhabitants took refuge on today's Monte d'Oro, from where they could dominate the surrounding area, before descending into the valley and settling permanently in the fief. After the fief-holder's death, his wife Maria had a church built, which later became the town's mother church; a few years later the churches of Sant'Antonio and San Giuseppe were also built, while by 1715 the village already numbered 138 houses.
From the first half of the 20th century, Montelepre was at the centre of national attention because the Montelepre-born bandit Salvatore Giuliano sowed terror in the more or less nearby towns. The town also preserves the church of Maria Santissima del Rosario and that of Santa Rosalia.
