Santa Lucia del Mela

Geography

The territory of the municipality of Saint Lucia del Mela, one of the largest in the province (less than 83 km ²), has a rich variety of landscapes. From the highest peaks of Peloritani, it offers the vision of the Tyrrhenian and Ionian. The wild and unspoilt have a rich variety of flora, ancient oaks, native forests. Climbing up the apple and its clear water perennial, you get to the giant prehistoric fern, that grows by at least 60 million years. The fauna is very diverse: there are dormice, blackbirds, crows, hawks, porcupines, wild cats, hedgehogs, martens, hares. In places: Postoleone (1020 m) where work is underway for years in forests, is found a welcoming refuge for forest and a picturesque lake, a destination for hikers and campers, with permission, many also from the ion rush. Interesting mountain trails on foot or horseback to the source of Apple or Timogna Rocca (1180 m) can be organized using the guide prepared by Nicola Friend knowledge of the mountain territory. The town is just 7 kilometres (4 mi) from the motorway Milazzo. It is only 35 kilometres (22 mi) from Messina, and just 12 kilometres (7 mi) from Milazzo and Barcelona P.G.

History

The origins of this town, the ancient Mankarru, are unknown. Greek ruins (Father Parisi Floripotamo located on the left bank of the river, another of Saint Lucia, the temple of Diana Facellina) and two second-century Roman tombs. B.C. attest to the presence in these sites Greek-roman settlements. At its peak, Mankarru or Mankarruna, thanks to its strategic position, was an important military outpost. On the remains of a Hellenic city walls, the Byzantines built a fort, subsequently rebuilt by the Arabs between 837 and 851. On the slope of the hill, the Muslims built a mosque. This was converted subsequently to the church of St Nicholas. In the area there, as indicated by the name of a street, There were Muslim baths reserved for women and a grave with the Arabic inscription lost.

After his defeat of the Arabs, the Norman Count Roger I, to fulfill a vow, built a church (1094), located adjacent to the castle and dedicated to Santa Lucia, to whom he was devoted. Since that date the archaic name of Mankarru was changed under Christian rule to Saint Lucia. In the Gallery of Maps in the Vatican, Father Ignatius Daddi in 1529 called this city Santa Locia. With the establishment of a Prelature Nullius in Santa Lucia del Mela by Frederick II of Swabia, who chose our site as a place of recreation and rest, the temple was designated (1206) as the Santa Lucia del Mela cathedral. Since then, 67 prelates have overseen the diocese, adding further churches and decoration. In addition, the Prelate of Saint Lucia was awarded the honor of serving as Major chaplain of the kingdom and the town was entitled to 11 seats in Parliament.

Frederick II of Aragon fortified the town with walls and renovated its castle. He emitted a proclamation calling on the population of the plain, which was subject to recurrent raids by pirates, to resettle inside the town walls. In addition, a colony from Lombardy settled in the town. The town once sheltered a major Giudecca, a large Jewish community, in the current area of Candlemas; however, in 1492, Jews in Sicily, then under Aragonese rule were subject to Expulsion. The town had an active silk industry and silver mines. The city, as the state, boasted many noble families.

Castle sanctuary

The Arab Castle (837-851), Swabian (1228), Aragon (1322) was the protagonist of the ancient history of the city. Hosted Federico II could devote himself to hunting, his favorite entertainment, the nearby mountains rich with game. Away from the interference of the bishops of neighboring dioceses, in "his" Prelature, was able to prepare what was called the "bloody crusade." In our castle echoed the lines of the Sicilian school of poetry and a popular tradition in prison, under the compartment of the cylindrical tower (discovered in 1967 during the execution of works) ended his day suicide "Pier delle Vigne" Protonotaro 's Emperor, fell into disgrace, that it was in Saint Lucia was to enjoy a particular esteem by the people as evidenced by a street in the historic center dedicated to him. Renovated and expanded by Frederick II of Aragon was the scene of often bloody and violent events. In 1600, fallen to the functions of defense, abandoned and in ruins is sold by the owner of Prince Don Francesco Morra Buccheri, to Archbishop Simon Impey, Prelate of the time (1673), which now provides for the restructuring. The square tower, unsafe, is demolished to make way for the construction of a shrine at the center of a majestic baroque frame, is placed in 1674, the beautiful marble statue of the Madonna della Neve Antonello Gagini (1529), from the rural church the S. Joseph. Since then the sweet castle watches over the city from above. In 1695, the premises restored, is transferred from the seminary building prelate who soon became a renowned center of learning. Masters and eminent personalities have walked the lofty history. One need only recall the luciese Abate Antonio Scoppa, writer, ambassador to Paris of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the French Academy and the philosopher Pasquale Galuppi, a native of Tropea, a young man who was studying in our seminary, becoming a professor of dogmatic theology. It is considered a luciese adoption and quite rightly the local middle school named after him. At the foot of the staircase entrance, marble statue of St. Michael attributed to Calamech (1572). Inside the round tower, is located a valuable library of incunabula, sixteenth-century texts and very old.