Church of San Michele in Savoca

In the municipality of Savoca in the province of Messina there are several artistic and cultural structures that could be of interest to fans of Sicilian Baroque and art as in the case of the Church of San Michele.

The church of San Michele in Savoca

In the suggestive Village of Savoca located in the province of Messina, it is possible to visit numerous locations that refer to the era in which the Sicilian territory was built above all in the Baroque style, as in the case of the Church of San Michele.
La Church of San Michele in Savoca it was built in the 1250th century after Christ and its external part has references to the Gothic and Chiaramonte style, which makes it even more interesting. Its construction took place, to be precise, in the year XNUMX by the will of the archimandrites of Messina, i.e. the monks who were part of the Monastery of the Most Holy Saviour of Messina, who very strongly wanted to donate this place to the territory in which to pray and have contact with the religious world.
Initially, the structure was built in very small dimensions and according to what emerged from some historical documents, mainly Greek rites were celebrated, i.e. with a liturgy different from the Christian one.
In 1420 they decided to expand the Church also to meet the needs of the many faithful who began to live in the hinterland and they proceeded with a work based on the installation of two portals still visible today with their unmistakable style partly Gothic and partly Chiaramontano.

The architectural features of the church

The church of San Michele in Savoca it is appreciated for its single nave and for the many paintings that have been created by important artists. In particular, it is possible to view a fresco dating back to 1701 which depicts the Baptism of Jesus at the Jordan River or a fresco of smaller dimensions, always from the same year in which reference is made to Madonna of the letter. There are also 2 paintings that depict respectively San Michele Arcangelo and Santi Cosma e Damiano. Among the other most significant features of the internal area, there is the wooden trussed roof built in 1761 and three altars in Sicilian Baroque style always dedicated to Saints Cosma and Damiano, Santa Maria dell'Idria and Saint John. It should be emphasized that after several decades of closure due to non-optimal conditions, the church was recently reopened for worship and in particular from the month of September 2020 it began to host masses, events and rituals of various kinds.

What else to see in Savoca

In the small town of Savoca it is possible to appreciate many other architectures of interest in addition to the Church of San Michele among which we especially mention the Church of Santa Maria in Cielo Assunta. It is an extraordinary structure dating back to 1130 which, due to its beauty, has been declared since 1910 Italian national monument. It has a gabled face and a central portal with many elements dating back to the Renaissance period.

Then there are other locations of interest for enthusiasts such as the Church of San Nicolò built in the thirteenth century, or the Calvary Church of the seventeenth century. Although the town is rather contained on its territory there are numerous churches, among which we remember the Church and the Capuchin Convent, Church of Jesus and Mary , Church of Santa Lucia and Sant'Antonio Abate. Furthermore, there are also works of a civil and military nature such as the Pentefur Castle, now reduced to a ruin, and without forgetting the City Gate created in the XNUMXth century and still perfectly standing today.

Absolutely not to be missed Ethno-anthropological Historical Museum, located in Via San Michele 1, a faithful reconstruction of the typical environments of rural houses which acts as a setting for a collection of farmer's work tools and everyday objects.

How to get to Savoca

To reach the town of Savoca by car starting from Messina, a route of 42 km is necessary, first passing through the A18 motorway and then the E45. In total the journey takes 48 minutes.
Starting from Palermo by car, you must first proceed along the A20 with the Roccalumera exit and then continue along the E90 for a total of 262 km to be covered in over 3 hours of travel.
For those coming from Catania by car it is 72 km, part of which is on the A18 with the exit always at Roccalumera, and part on the E45.

There is also the possibility of using public transport from Catania with the train which leaves from Catania Centrale station and arrives at S. Teresa di Riva in 79 minutes or with the buses of the company Etna Trasporti and Interbus which depart from Catania airport and arrive in Taormina.