Francavilla di Sicilia

Francavilla di Sicilia has ancient origins dating back to the Norman period.

The name Francavilla di Sicilia comes from the French word franc-ville, which was meant to indicate that the feudal town had important privileges compared to those of the other nearby towns. During the Norman domination the territory was given to the Basilian Monastery of San Salvatore della Placa. Later in 1538, the city was acquired by Jacopo Ruffo who built the current old town centre.

The most important monuments of the village are:

the Ruins of the Feudal Castle, it was built in 1275, 500 meters above sea level; the Church of the Santissima Annunziata, located in the center of Francavilla, was built in 1550 and it occupies the main place among the sacred buildings of the city. The main altar is characterized by inlaid marble and the inner walls displays a wooden sculpture representing the church’s choir;

The Church of the Carmine was built in 1642 by Jacopo Ruffo; the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, built in the sixteenth century, has a beautiful Gothic main entrance made with carved sandstone and a beautiful rose window;

the Church of Saint Paul, built in the fifteenth century, is famous for the fountain of Saint Paolo made by the “School of the Gagini”. The fountain is a white marble statue depicting a girl holding a shield with the emblem of two rampant lions. The popular tradition says that the statue represents the city of Francavilla;

the Bridge of Santa Maria delle Preci was built in 1585 following the will of the friar “Urbano della Motta”; the Convent of the Capuchin Friars was built in 1570 by Viscount Don Antonio Balsamo; the Convent’s Church has only one nave enriched by impressive decorations, frames and arches that host works of art made in different ages; the Museum of the Franciscan Testimony houses the representations of all the different moment of the monastic life with the original ancient objects used by the friars;

the Antiquarium includes a rich collections of findings from the 5^th century BC; the Cagnone’s Palace, built in 1500, hosts the Archeological Museum;

the Francavilla Palace, built in 1783, offers a wonderful view of the Palermo countryside. It is considered one of the most important examples of the Sicilian Art Nuveau; the Monastery of Salvatore della Placa, was built in the eleventh century BC; the fluvial park of the Alcantara, established in 2001 to protect the existing natural ecosystem of the Alcantara river, includes the territories of the provinces of Messina and Catania, which correspond to the river basin of the Alcantara. Here it is possible to visit the stunning Alcantara Caves (Gole dell’Alcantara).

People live here:

3.986

It is famous for:

the philanthropist Stefano Marco

the humanist Joseph Pittalà

the poet and poet Michele Caracoci

the writer Giacomo Ruffo

the jurist and teacher Joseph Prescimone

the father Giambattista from Francavilla

the writer and sociologist John Amodeo

the lawyer and politician Luigi Ragno

the tenor Arturo Ferrara

the journalist and numismatic Orsino Orsini

the magistrate Filippo Romano

Attractions:

Cianciùta is the traditional Carnival of the village

Rassegna Olio Extravergine d’Oliva Valle dell’Alcantara, food festival

Alcantara excursions

How to get there:

By Car:

From Messina

Get on A20/E90. Follow A18/E45 to Giardini Naxos. Take exit Giardini Naxos from A18/E45. Follow Strada Statale 185/SS185 to Via Vittorio Emanuele/SP5 in Francavilla di Sicilia.

By Train:

Get the train to Taormina – Giardini Naxos and then rich the village by bus Alcantara – Randazzo

By Plane:

the nearest airport is Fontanarossa Airport of Catania

Accommodations:

Hotel d’Orange 3*

http://www.hoteldorange.com/it/home.php

Le Oreadi 4*

http://www.leoreadi.it/

Relais La Placa 4*

http://www.relaislaplaca.it/

Country House Ghiritina 3*