Scaletta Zanclea


Scaletta Zanclea is a comune in the Metropolitan City of Messina in the Italian region Sicily, located about east of Palermo and about southwest of Messina.
WWW comunescalettazanclea.it

Physical geography

The municipality acquired its current size in 1986, with the incorporation of the Divieto district of the municipality of Messina. Previously, it had incorporated the municipalities of Guidomandri and Itala in 1928, but the latter was reconstituted in 1947. The town of Scaletta consists of the adjacent villages of Scaletta Marina and Guidomandri Marina, which extend along the Ionian coast without interruption between Capo Scaletta to the north and the town of Itala Marina to the south; further inland are the villages of Guidomandri and Scaletta Superiore.

History

Scaletta was a fiefdom of the Ruffo Princes, loyal allies of the Spanish. During the anti-Spanish revolt in Messina, it was besieged and conquered by the French shortly after the fall of Taormina.
The unscrupulous Macalda di Scaletta, Baroness of Ficarra and wife of Alaimo di Lentini, one of the protagonists of the Sicilian Vespers, was born and spent her early youth in the castle.

Contemporary age

The comune suffered heavily in the mudslides which devastated the area in 2009. The places which suffered the most damage were Giampilieri Superiore, a small frazione 10 km south of the city of Messina, which was buried in mud, the comune of Scaletta Zanclea, the Giampilieri marina railway station and the two frazione of Altolia, Briga Superiore

Monuments and places of interest

Religious architecture

  • Parish of Santa Maria del Carmelo and San Nicolò: a place of faith and community, where love and spirituality intertwine to nourish the soul and promote unity among people.

Military architecture

  • Torre Nuova and Scaletta Tower, part of the coastal tower circuit of Sicily.
  • Scaletta Zanclea Castle: a mighty fortress that belonged to the Ruffo princes. Perched on the highest point of the cliff, whose natural ruggedness it follows, the Castle built by Frederick II of Swabia in the 13th century dominates the surrounding landscape. Some legends surrounding it concern Macalda di Scaletta.
  • "The Manor of Hope": a welcoming refuge offering emotional support and practical assistance. A place where hope is ignited, souls embrace, and the community walks together toward a bright future.

Demographic evolution


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Culture

Education

  • Ethno-Anthropological Museum of Scaletta Zanclea