Country Italy Province / Metropolitan city Messina (ME) Demonym(s) Francavillesi Area 82 km² Local time Thursday 1:20 AM | Region Sicily Elevation 330 m (1,080 ft) Time zone CET (UTC+1) Province Province of Messina Postal code 98034 | |
Weather 7°C, Wind SW at 3 km/h, 71% Humidity | ||
Francavilla di Sicilia (Sicilian: Francavigghia) is a town and comune in the Province of Messina on the island of Sicily, Italy.
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Map of Francavilla di Sicilia, Province of Messina, Italy
It has a population of about 3,900 people and is situated in the southern part of the province, close to the northern slopes of Mount Etna. The distance to Messina is about 50 kilometres (31 mi), and the town is about 70 kilometres (43 mi) from Catania airport, in the valley of the River Alcantara between Taormina and Randazzo. Taormina and the Mediterranean Sea are about 15 kilometres (9 mi) to the southeast. Neighboring towns and villages include: Antillo, Castiglione di Sicilia, Fondachelli-Fantina, Malvagna, Montalbano Elicona, Motta Camastra, Novara di Sicilia and Tripi.
History
In the vicinity of the town artefacts have been found dating back to the 5th century BC.
In 1092 the Abbey of San Salvatore di Placa was built, and the town grew around it.
On June 20, 1719 a major battle was fought between Spanish and Austrians in the War of the Quadruple Alliance, leaving 8000 dead and wounded.