The main church of Motta Sant'Anastasia, dedicated to the town's patron saint Anastasia, stands near the Norman castle at the top of the basalt rock. The current building is Baroque in character, as is common across Sicily, having been largely rebuilt after earthquake damage in the early modern period.
The church interior is modest but worth a brief visit for the views from the forecourt — standing here gives you a simultaneous look at the castle tower above and the flat Simeto plain below, with Etna dominating the eastern horizon on clear days. The town's religious life still centres on this building, and the spring festival for Sant'Anastasia in April draws the community together in traditional Sicilian fashion.