San Marco d'Alunzio

Lavoro svolto dagli alunni Musarra Alessandra  e Musarra Fabiana 

della Classe I sez. A ind. Linguistico

Anno 2000

On a plateau of pink marble overlooking the sea to the Aeolian Islands, stands the historical centre of San Marco d’Alunzio, one of the most interesting sites on the Nebrodi mountains, with the precious remains from its millennary civilization.

Rising like a look-out, the built-up area of San Marco d’Alunzio is situated on a plateau 1771 ft. above the sea level in the heart of a natural scenery of matchless beauty backed by the magical view of the Aeolian Islands.

Probably pre-Greek in origin, the ancient Alontion was founded in the 5th century B.C. by the legendary Patron da Thuri. The period of the Roman Empire saw the great splendour of the town as recorded in a number of inscriptions, now held in custody by the local Parish Library, it was in fact raised to the higher rank of Municipium by Ottaviano Augusto with the name of Aluntium and was granted the privilege to mint coins.

Named San Marco, in praise of St. Mark the Evangelist, by the Normans in 1061, it knew a new life as a medieval town when Roberto il Guiscardo built the citadel, around which a tight network of houses, alleys, churches and monasteries developped; the most ancient nucleus of its present built-up area. With the coming of the Aragonesi, San Marco became the feud of the Counts Filangeri until 1804, a date that marked the end of the Feudal system in Sicily. However, the information about it has been going on plentifully documented, until nowadays.

San Marco, with its splendid mosaics that are traced back to the Ellenistic period, the Greek and Latin inscriptions, the Greek temple of Hercules, twenty-two churches and its valuable museums, is a worthy witness of the millennary history of Sicily through the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the Baroque. The same importance may be given to the famous red marbles, the suggestive holy celebrations, the peculiar dialect, the great sense of hospitality, the varied and rare cooking which make of San Marco d’Alunzio a site of sure interest for those people who want to get in touch with the marvels of nature or the rich variety of the historical heritage.

Course Historical - Archeological

Legend

   Principal monuments     

    Building                            

    Archaeological excavations

    Road-street (principal and secondary)

    Territory surrouding

EXCURSIONS 

The area of San Marco d’Alunzio shows a rich and varied vegetation characterized by every hue of green. The streams Favara and Platanà run through dramatic rocky chasms hidden amongst olive groves, corks and vineyards with the occasional view of solitary cypress trees: an area which is part of the Nebrodi Park. There are several plateaux from 3280 to 3936 ft. high (Malirò, Libba and Vina districts) covered with brushes and interspersed with seasonal lakes. Wonderful views of the territory may be enjoyed after climbing the two peaks, Traora and Pizzo del Lupo