Saponara Castle

The history of the Castle of Saponara

In the thirteenth century, who arrived by sea on the northeastern coast of Sicily, from the stretch between the current ones Villafranca Tirrena and Rometta Marea, could be sighted in advance from the Castle of Saponara, a medieval hilltop fortress.

Today the ruins remain of the fort, but the history of the castle of Saponara tells us of pirates and Saracen adventurers who landed on the coast, not always with friendly intentions. For this, Sicily is full of castles-fortresses, which with their watchtowers protected the coastal centers and the hinterland.

Although there is not much other information on the fort, the position and conformation of the site seem to suggest Byzantine origins and also the presence of a real watchtower. A few centuries later, around the year XNUMX, the medieval village of Saponara expanded around the Castle.

The architecture of the Castle of Saponara and the works it houses

Currently it is not possible to visit the interior of the Castle, as the site consists mainly of ruins that belong to private individuals, but it is still possible to admire its structure and through what the history of the Castle of Saponara ideally helps us to reconstruct its ancient features.

The Castle stands on top of a hill about 314 meters above sea level, protected by a resistant wall with an irregular path.
The walls and the rooms on the ground floor are made up of bricks and stones, in blocks of various sizes, held together by mortar.
The location of the premises suggests that originally on site there was also a taller tower, the very one from which the pirates were sighted.

What to do in the Castle of Saponara and its surroundings

The history of the Castle of Saponara stimulates the imagination of visitors, who can discover an important period of Sicilian history starting from the ruins of the fortress.

After admiring the Castle on the hill, you can visit the other oldest building in the village, namely the Mother Church of San Nicola di Bari in Piazza Matrice, built in the XNUMXth century and dedicated to the Patron Saint, which we also recommend visiting inside.

Walking through the streets of the center, you will find ancient sources such as that of Bottesco, the fountain where the women of the village went to wash their clothes, as per tradition. Here you will be able to discover another part of the history of the village, because the name of the village derives from a plant that in the past grew luxuriantly in the area and was used to obtain a detergent with which to wash clothes, the Saponaria officinalis.

After taking a walk in the historic center of Saponara, enjoying the beautiful hilly landscape that surrounds the town, go down towards the coast, where just 5 km away, you will find the hamlet of Saponara Marittima, the village overlooking the sea: here, you can enjoy desserts and ice cream after a break on the beach, where you can swim in the wonderful sea of ​​northern Sicily, while for lunch or dinner, choose one of the excellent local restaurants to eat fish very fresh.

During a stay to discover the history of the Castle of Saponara, do not miss the opportunity to explore the surroundings of the town: from Rometta Marea to Villafranca Tirrena, with just a few kilometers you can discover new beaches, while heading inland, you will find interesting and beautiful centers for a day trip.

Rometta, for example, is a town of about 6.400 inhabitants with many attractions to visit that illustrate its long history, starting from Porta Milazzo from which you enter the village, passing through the Byzantine Church of Santa Maria dei Cerei, built in the fifth century.

Here you will also find other churches such as the Parish of S. Maria Assunta (Mother Church of the town), but also in the maritime hamlet, there is no shortage of beautiful and large sacred buildings, such as the Church of Sant'Antonio.

Villafranca Tirrena is instead a younger municipality, born at the end of the years Thirties of the twentieth century and here you can admire pre-existing ancient buildings, such as the Church of San Gregorio Magno and the Ecce Homo Sanctuary, but also modern churches, such as the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, built in the seventies.

From Saponara, the center of Messina can be reached with a short journey of just 17 km.

You can make your Sicilian holiday even more special and unique if you also taste the typical dishes of Messina cuisine, such as sweet and sour rabbit, Sicilian rolls and stockfish, as well as desserts such as almond paste or ricotta cream puffs.

How to reach Saponara

Reaching Saponara, in the Metropolitan City of Messina, to visit the Castle, is easy both by train and by car.

By car, take the A20 Messina-Buonfornello and continue until the Rometta exit, about 700 meters from the centre, while if you travel by train, you can get off at Messina Station and reach Saponara by bus or shuttle.

© Ciao411, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons