A stone's throw from Milazzo and the enchanting Cataolo waterfalls lies the small and charming village of Santa Lucia del Mela, in the province of Messina.
Its historical and artistic heritage is truly remarkable despite its size, boasting for example one of the most beautiful castles in all of Sicily.
Santa Lucia del Mela is also famous for its fun Historic Carnival Luciese “U' catalettu”, complete with a playful funeral procession commemorating Carnival, who died due to greed and excessive gluttony.
Santa Lucia del Mela: historical notes
Santa Lucia del Mela is a village perched on the slopes of the Peloritani Hills, in particular of the Mankarruna Hill which throughout its history was chosen as a military garrison, bordered on its sides by the courses of the Floripotema and Mela rivers.
The origins of the village, formerly called Mankarru, date back to the XNUMXnd BC and ancient Greco-Roman remains have been found in the same area.
In 1094, a period strongly characterized by the Christian faith, Mankarru it was renamed Santa Lucia, as a votive offering from Count Ruggero following his victory over the Arabs (he also had a church built, right in the shadow of the Castle).
With the Unification of Italy the term Mela was added to Santa Lucia, to distinguish the town from other towns of the same name present on Italian territory.
Il Castle of Santa Lucia del Mela is the symbol of the village, dominating it from above with its size: it was most likely built by the Arabs on Byzantine remains and later became one of Frederick II's hunting reserves, before being renovated by Frederick II of Aragon.
The Angevins destroyed the Castle several times and, with the arrival of the plague in 1575 and then with the invention of firearms, it slowly fell into a state of abandonment. He will be the prelate Simone Impellizzeri to restore it.
of the fortress of Santa Lucia del Mela stand out the high Cylindrical tower and the lowest Triangular Tower: from the latter it is possible to enjoy a magnificent view which also includes the profile of the Aeolian Islands. Also worth a visit Sanctuary of the Madonna della Neve, built at the behest of Impellizzeri and guardian of a splendid marble statue by Gagini depicting the Madonna della Neve.
What to see in Santa Lucia del Mela
Obviously Santa Lucia del Mela is not limited only to its Castle, although monumental and important: in fact, remember that it hosted the Sicilian Poetic School, commissioned by Frederick II of Swabia and much loved by Dante Alighieri, not forgetting the legend which tells how Pier delle Vigne committed suicide right in the Castle of Santa Lucia del Mela.
Moving away from the fortress you can reach it Piazza Maggiore, which the beautiful overlooks Cathedral Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta: the building dates back to 1094 and you cannot fail to notice the beautiful marble portal built in the 300th century. Entering the church, you perceive the wealth preserved in it, starting from the Ecce Homo, a sculpture created by Marabitti in red marble and the tombstone complete with a precious pontifical tiara. Very beautiful are the painting of the Immaculate Conception, the work of Filippo Sanelli, the metal urn which houses the incorrupt body of Blessed Antonio Franco and the beautiful reliquary of the Holy Thorn: the object was evidently worked with the burin in ' XNUMX from the expert hands of a goldsmith from Messina.
The Basilica is not the only church of Santa Lucia del Mela, given that there are about twenty of them, among which the Church of San Francesco d'Assisi, That of San Cristoforo need St. Anthony, with an adjoining monastery.
Among the civil buildings worthy of note is the seventeenth-century one Bishop's Palace, enriched inside by religious-themed painted panels, damask walls and marble flooring: the palace is home to the Diocesan Museum.
Reach Santa Lucia del Mela and get ready to discover an authentic corner of Sicily, where every corner tells a piece of ancient and fascinating history. It is located a stone's throw from the Cataolo Waterfalls, which to many remind us of the secret cave of a fairy kingdom.
Image of IA300890 at Italian Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
