Francavilla di Sicilia

Francavilla di Sicilia
Country	Italy
region	Sicily
Metropolitan city	Messina  (ME)
Local name	Francavigghia (di Sicilia)
Coordinates	37 ° 54 '  N , 15 ° 8'  E Coordinates: 37 ° 54 '0 "  N , 15 ° 8' 0"  E
height	330  m slm
surface	82 km²
Residents	3,725 (Dec. 31, 2019)
Population density	45 inhabitants / km²
Post Code	98034
prefix	0942
ISTAT number	083025
Popular name	Francavillesi
Patron saint	Saints Barbara and Sant'Euplio
Website	Francavilla di Sicilia

Francavilla di Sicilia is an Italian commune in the metropolitan city of Messina in the autonomous region of Sicily with 3725 inhabitants (as of December 31, 2019).

Francavilla e la Valle dell'Alcantara

Location and dates

Francavilla di Sicilia is located north of Mount Etna and about 50 km south of the provincial capital Messina in the Alcantara Valley . The next bigger towns are the tourist stronghold Taormina , about 15 km further east on the coast, and Randazzo , about 15 km further west inland. 4236 inhabitants live here, who mainly work in agriculture.

The neighboring municipalities are Antillo , Castiglione di Sicilia ( CT ), Fondachelli-Fantina , Malvagna , Montalbano Elicona , Motta Camastra , Novara di Sicilia and Tripi .

history

In the area of ​​the village, excavations have found objects that date back to the 5th century BC. In 1092 the monastery of San Salvatore di Placa was built, in the vicinity of which the present-day village was formed. On June 20, 1719, the Battle of Francavilla took place.

Attractions

Le Gurne dell'Alcantara

• Gole dell'Alcantara : Gorges of the Alcantara river , which over the centuries has eaten its way into the lava rock of Etna . The river flows through the urban area, the most striking point of the river with the partly cave-like gorge is very close to Francavilla, but just outside the village in the area of ​​the municipality of Motta Camastra .
• Chiesa dell'Annunziata in the center of the city.
• Capuchin convent at the cemetery.
• Ruins of the medieval castle once enthroned on a hill above the town.
• Excavations from the time of the Greeks.
• Nature trail to the Gurne dell'Alcantara (river course with small lakes).

Events

• Last Sunday of August: Feast of St. Euplio
• December 4th: Feast of the patroness of the place, St. Barbara
• Good Friday procession (every 4 years)
• Nativity plays
• carnival

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Statistiche demografiche ISTAT. Monthly population statistics of the Istituto Nazionale di Statistica , as of December 31 of 2019.
2. ↑ ISTAT , as of May 31, 2007

Web links

Commons : Francavilla di Sicilia  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Francavilla di Sicilia website (Italian)