San Marco D'Alunzio (Messina Province) is 131 km from Messina, alt. 540 m, in the northern Nebrodi, on the slopes of Rocca Traona, near the Tyrrhenian coast, area 26.1 sq km, pop. 2,309, post-code 98070, tel. 0941. Economy: agriculture and tourism.
It stands on the site of the ancient Aluntium, an indigenous city Hellenized in the 4th century BC. The present town developed around the castle (now in ruins) built in 1061 by Robert Guiscard; it was the seat of the Norman court during the regency of Adelaide, Roger I's third wife. From the 15th century until 1812 it was continuously the County of the Filangieri family, the Princes of Mirto.
The town spreads out over a hilltop, at the base of which, on a great rock, stands the Hellenistic Temple of Hercules, which was transformed into the Church of San Marco in the early Middle Ages; it still however preserves considerable traces of its original structure.
Of interest: The Museo Aluntino
Churches (Patti Diocese) include the following:
Links to other sites about San Marco D'Alunzio include:
My latest book on CD is titled Sicily - A Reference for Researchers and is now available. With a file for each town (plus many other files), it relates the history of Sicily as reflected in the photos, records and festivals of its towns. It contains over 2500 text and photo files and can be ordered at CD order.
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