Savoca

The strategic position of Savoca, like all other cities of ancient origin, stems from the need to defend itself against the invasions that began with the arrival of the barbarians in the medieval period.

This is one of the most reliable theories but there are others that are related to the same need to protect themselves. A theory out of these is that the city was founded by 5 thieves escaped from the prisons of Tauromenium, Taormina, who took refuge here and founded the city.

The town of Savoca is linked to the Castle of Pentefur, of which only ruins remain today, and therefore to this term PENTEFUR. To it, translated from different ancient languages, a different meaning is given according to the theory one wants to accredit. Today, looking at the town, we see a castle, that of Pentefur, positioned at the highest and most strategic point, a country that over the centuries has developed around it and certain historical information from 1150a.c. year the first official mention of the inhabited area of Savoca dates back to.

Over time Savoca became one of the most important cities of the era comparable to the nearby Taormina. An agricultural center par excellence, a strong trade is developed so as to establish an annual trade fair. Savoca also engraved in military terms by participating in the crusades. It was the seat of a thriving Jewish community of which remains in the ruins of the Synagogue and in the street linked to them, the road of the Judeca. Like all the cities of the time, Savoca is also linked to the Catholic faith with 3 churches and a convent, that of the Capuchins, in which there are the catacombs that host notables of the mummified age.

An interesting part of Savoca is its pine forest, a protected area that represents a link with nature. It is located near the homonymous street and expands for about 180 hectares. Inside there are paths and places to relax. Last but not least important curiosity is that the town was set for the film The Godfather who made Bar Vitelli famous. In the movie script, the bar belonged to Apollonia’s father, the girl Michael Corleone married in Sicily during his exile.

To visit: Church of San Nicolò, Church of San Michele, Mother Church, Convent of the Capuchins and the adjoining catacombs, the Pentefur district, the ethno-anthropological museum as well as all the small streets of the town along which you will find various elements such as the ruins of the Synagogue and the entrance arch to the medieval quarter.

There is no central core of the country where to find all this. They are located along the via Pentefur, via Chiesa Madre, via San Rocco, via S. Onofrio and via Cappuccini. As you walk along these streets, turn around because the monuments of the houses that overlook them are beautiful beyond the previously mentioned monuments. The only sore point is the impossibility of visiting the Castle of Pentefur.