The patron saint of Valderice is Christ the King, whose liturgical date falls on 26 November, while civic celebrations in his honour are held periodically, generally every five years. The church dedicated to him, commissioned by Father Francesco Sanclemente in the town centre, is classified as the mother church and is the largest and most attended in Valderice, although not the oldest, having been completed only in 1950. Every year, instead, Mary Most Holy of Mercy is celebrated in early September.
The history of Valderice is tied to that of nearby Monte Erice: over the centuries the population moved into the fertile valley below, forming the first settlements in the countryside of the Erice district, such as Paparella, San Marco, Ragosia, Misericordia, Sant'Andrea, Bonagia, Casalbianco, Crocci, Chiesanuova, Lenzi, Fico and Crocevie: the new municipality, initially called «Paparella San Marco» after its two main Erice hamlets, took its current name with regional law no. 1 of 1958.
