Gallodoro between rock churches, village history and hiking trails

Gallodoro: History carved in rock

Gallodoro reveals its history through churches, rock carvings and traces of settlement passed down through the generations. The chiesetta di Santa Maria Maddalena was carved out of the rock in 1711 by local stonemasons. The Chiesa di San Sebastiano, built in the 15th century, houses the Museo Parrocchiale di Arte Sacra. Both places offer different approaches to the past: one through the unusual connection between a building and the rock, the other through sacred architecture and art.

From Bocena to the present-day village

The present-day village of Gallodoro emerged in the Middle Ages. During the Byzantine period, the first settlement core developed around the rural church of S. Teodoro Martire. The early Greek settlement near the hamlets of Margi and S. Anna points even further back: According to popular tradition, it was called Bocena. Archaeological finds of coins, ceramic fragments, various vessels and tombs also led to the supposition that the city of Kallipolis may possibly have been located in the vicinity of Gallodoro.

Churches, squares and sacred heritage

The Abside di Santa Maria Maddalena is located on an access road to Gallodoro. It stood opposite the former parish church of San Teodoro Martire, which no longer exists today. The Abside has easier access for people with disabilities. Piazza San Nicola lies on a small rocky outcrop; a characteristic neighbourhood is located behind it. In Gallodoro, visitors can therefore view individual architectural settings as well as the organically developed structure of the village.

Art and local knowledge

The processional gonfalon of the SS. Crocifisso is kept in the Chiesa Madre dell’Assunta. The gonfalon is considered the only gonfalon in Sicily to have survived undamaged. The Biblioteca comunale di Gallodoro offers another way of accessing local knowledge, with a collection of more than 6,000 volumes. Sacred art and the municipal library thus represent two different forms through which the history of the village can be explored.

Woodland landscapes and rock workings

In the area around Gallodoro, chestnut, beech and downy oak forests provide a suitable habitat for various animal and plant species. The area also contains palmenti and oil mills carved entirely into the rock. The landscape is therefore shaped not only by woodland, but also by traces of craft and agricultural work carried out on the rock.

Hiking trails with different distances

For your hiking plans, the Sentiero naturalistico Forza D’Agrò has a 24 km-long main section connecting Forza D’Agrò with Taormina. Alternative sections provide access to the surrounding villages. In the Valle del Ghiòdaro, the Taormina–Forza d’Agrò nature trail follows old mule tracks and trazzere that were restored by volunteers.

Other places at the same destination level

Locadi, Barcellona Pozzo Di Gotto, Leni, Santa Domenica Vittoria, Castello, Campogrande, San Salvatore Di Fitalia, Castel Di Tusa

To the higher-level travel overview: Messina.