Santa Lucia del Mela

Santa Lucia del Mela (Sicilian: Santa Lucìa dû Mela) is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Messina in the Italian region Sicily, located about 170 kilometres (110 mi) east of Palermo and about 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of Messina. It is one of the largest comunes in the province of Messina. Santa Lucia del Mela borders the following municipalities: Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, Casalvecchio Siculo, Castroreale, Fiumedinisi, Furci Siculo, Gualtieri Sicaminò, Mandanici, Merì, Pace del Mela, Pagliara, San Filippo del Mela, San Pier Niceto. Geography The territory of the municipality of Saint Lucia del Mela, one of the largest in the province (less than 83 km ²), has a rich variety of landscapes. From the highest peaks of Peloritani, it offers the vision of the Tyrrhenian and Ionian. The wild and unspoilt have a rich variety of flora, ancient oaks, native forests. Climbing up the apple and its clear water perennial, you get to the giant prehistoric fern, that grows by at least 60 million years. The fauna is very diverse: there are dormice, blackbirds, crows, hawks, porcupines, wild cats, hedgehogs, martens, hares. In places: Postoleone (1020 m) where work is underway for years in forests, is found a welcoming refuge for forest and a picturesque lake, a destination for hikers and campers, with permission, many also from the ion rush. Interesting mountain trails on foot or horseback to the source of Apple or Timogna Rocca (1180 m) can be organized using the guide prepared by Nicola Friend knowledge of the mountain territory. The town is just 7 kilometres (4 mi) from the motorway Milazzo. It is only 35 kilometres (22 mi) from Messina, and just 12 kilometres (7 mi) from Milazzo and Barcelona P.G. History The origins of S. Lucia del Mela, the ancient Mankarru, are unknown. Greek ruins (Father Parisi Floripotamo located on the left bank of the river, another of Saint Lucia, the temple of Diana Facellina) and two second-century Roman tombs. B.C. attest to the presence in these sites Greek-roman settlements. In the Gallery of Maps in the Vatican, Father Ignatius Daddi, (in the classical painting in relief, with Italian time (1529) called this city "Santa Locia. The historical peak of Mankarru or Mankarruna, thanks to its strategic position, was an important military rulers for all that followed. On the remains of a Hellenic city walls, the Byzantines built a fort rebuilt by the Arabs between 837 el'851. On the slope of the hill, the Muslims built a mosque converted fortress in the Middle Ages in the Church of St. Nicholas. In the area there, as indicated by the name of a street, a cleansing of the Saracens, public wash reserved for Muslim women and a grave with the Arabic inscription lost. With the advent of Norman, Count Roger, to fulfill a vow, after the victory over the Arabs, built a church at the foot of the castle and dedicated to Santa Lucia to whom he was devoted martyr (1094). Since that date the archaic name was deleted to make room Mankarru to the Christian of Saint Lucia. In 1206, with the establishment of the "Prelature Nullius" by Frederick II of Swabia who chose our site as a place of recreation and rest, the temple becomes ruggero Cathedral. Since then well 67 prelates have succeeded on the throne memorable luciese making our city has been gradually enriched with magnificent churches and numerous works of art. Even more striking, the Prelate of Saint Lucia was awarded the honor of performing the duties of Major chaplain of the kingdom and as such was entitled to 11 seats in Parliament instead. Frederick II of Aragon, the city was fortified with walls and equipped with a renovated castle. By a proclamation calling on the population of the plain is subject to recurrent pirates settled in St. Lucia, which was also repopulated by a colony of Lombardy. It was also the site of a major Giudecca, a large Jewish community found in the current area of Candlemas until 1492, the year of their expulsion from the Kingdom of Sicily . has been the flourishing silk industry and mining due to the exploitation of silver galena. The city, as the state, boasted many noble families. Magnificent churches, palaces, fountains, architectural remains of medieval and Renaissance make the Saint Lucia Apple a city, a destination must for lovers of cultural tourism. Castle sanctuary The Arab Castle (837-851), Swabian (1228), Aragon (1322) was the protagonist of the ancient history of the city. Hosted Federico II could devote himself to hunting, his favorite entertainment, the nearby mountains rich with game. Away from the interference of the bishops of neighboring dioceses, in "his" Prelature, was able to prepare what was called the "bloody crusade." In our castle echoed the lines of the Sicilian school of poetry and a popular tradition in prison, under the compartment of the cylindrical tower (discovered in 1967 during the execution of works) ended his day suicide "Pier delle Vigne" Protonotaro 's Emperor, fell into disgrace, that it was in Saint Lucia was to enjoy a particular esteem by the people as evidenced by a street in the historic center dedicated to him. Renovated and expanded by Frederick II of Aragon was the scene of often bloody and violent events. In 1600, fallen to the functions of defense, abandoned and in ruins is sold by the owner of Prince Don Francesco Morra Buccheri, to Archbishop Simon Impey, Prelate of the time (1673), which now provides for the restructuring. The square tower, unsafe, is demolished to make way for the construction of a shrine at the center of a majestic baroque frame, is placed in 1674, the beautiful marble statue of the Madonna della Neve Antonello Gagini (1529), from the rural church the S. Joseph. Since then the sweet castle watches over the city from above. In 1695, the premises restored, is transferred from the seminary building prelate who soon became a renowned center of learning. Masters and eminent personalities have walked the lofty history. One need only recall the luciese Abate Antonio Scoppa, writer, ambassador to Paris of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the French Academy and the philosopher Pasquale Galuppi, a native of Tropea, a young man who was studying in our seminary, becoming a professor of dogmatic theology. It is considered a luciese adoption and quite rightly the local middle school named after him. At the foot of the staircase entrance, marble statue of St. Michael attributed to Calamech (1572). Inside the round tower, is located a valuable library of incunabula, sixteenth-century texts and very old. Photo gallery References External links Official website Photos of Santa Lucia del Mela