Temple of Hercules in San Marco d'Alunzio

San Marco d'Alunzio is a town of just under 2 inhabitants located in the province of Messina in which it is possible to admire many architectural beauties that have come down to our days such as the Temple of Hercules. It is no coincidence that this community has been included in the exclusive circuit of most beautiful villages in Italy.

The temple of Hercules in San Marco d'Alunzio

Il Temple of Hercules in San Marco d'Alunzio it is among the structures that are part of the ancient Greek city built during the fourth century BC. According to historians and scholars, the temple was in turn built in this period and is today among the most important sites that recall the period of Greek domination on the current territory of the province of Messina.

It can be easily visited because it is located on a rocky step near the town. It was designed with a rectangular plan that has a pronaos on the front facade and with side walls that end in two doors with as many columns made in the classic Doric style.

There are no documents regarding this temple, but probably was being used especially for sports activities which were connected at the time cult of Hercules considered the son of Zeus and a mortal woman. Particular stones have been used such as blocks of extracted Travertine which probably came from a quarry in the Valle del Rosmarino.
As has often happened throughout history, these structures of religious worship were then revisited during other dominations and in particular in theNorman era the temple was converted and the Christian church was dedicated to San Marco Evangelista, very important for the whole community until the sixteenth century with important changes from an architectural point of view Baroque.
The entrance portal still visible today was enriched with friezes and with many decorations typical of this style. However, many of these works are no longer visible today due to a state of abandonment that began during the nineteenth century which saw the bad habit of taking away many building blocks and furnishing elements. Fortunately, the first restoration work was started in 1969 and completed in 2015.

What to see in San Marco d'Alunzio

In the area there is much more to see than the temple of Hercules in San Marco d'Alunzio. In particular, a visit to the church of San Teodoro made in Greek cross but with a structure dating back to the Byzantine era. Inside there are important decorations, stuccoes dating back to the XNUMXth century. Also there is the Church of the Most Holy Saviour of clearly Norman architectural conception, while that of the Annunziata was developed during the early Christian period. Also noteworthy is the mother church currently dedicated to St. Nicholas of Bari and the Aracoeli church.

Thanks to a long history that has characterized San Marco d'Alunzio and the many dominations that have followed one another over the centuries, it is possible to visit important civil buildings such as the remains of the Norman castle or i archaeological finds, now preserved in the San Teodoro municipal museum and San Giuseppe Parish Museum.

How to get to the Temple of Hercules San Marco d'Alunzio

For those leaving from the city of Messina, getting to the center of San Marco d'Alunzio means traveling a 103 km long itinerary for about an hour and 20 minutes. It is necessary to take the A20/E90 in the direction of SP156 for a total of 88 km and then exit at Rocca di San Leone and then complete by following a road which includes the SS113 and the SP160. If, on the other hand, you start from the city of Palermo, the route to be covered is 140 km for a journey of just over 2 hours. Initially take the E90 and the A20 for 121 km, exit at S. Agata Militello and follow the SS113 and the SP160.

David Mauro, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons