Mongiuffi Among Churches, Festivals and Ancient Paths

Mongiuffi combines sacred art, historic buildings and paths through the landscape of the Valle del Ghiodaro. The Palazzo del Marchesato, whose construction began in 1640, is one of the town’s notable historic landmarks. In the Chiesa San Nicolò di Bari, there are a holy-water font and a baptismal font made of red Taormina stone bearing the Corvaja coat of arms. The parish church Chiesa di Santa Maria del Monte Carmelo also houses the marble statues of the Madonna della Catena and the Madonna della Vena.

Churches and Historic Traces

Several religious buildings lead through different historical periods. The Chiesa di San Sebastiano is a 16th-century noble chapel and contains an altar dedicated to Saint Joseph dating from 1644. The ancient San Leonardo chapel also dates from the 16th century. Its 17th-century altar bears a relief of Saint Leonardo made of white marble.

Distinctive historic structures can also be found outside the churches. The Galleria di Postoleone was excavated in solid limestone during the wartime period from 1915 to 1918. It is located at kilometre 4 of the SP 11 between Letojanni and Mongiuffi Melia and can be traversed by any means of transport. The Acquedotto Greco-Romano is also known as the Acquedotto del Diavolo and was built by the Greeks around 200 BC. The aqueduct, approximately 25 kilometres long, served to channel water to Taormina and can be reached via the Strada provinciale 14.

Paths Through Landscape and History

The Pianura di Margi is a stone-paved path that leads through trees to the ruins of a Roman camp on a wooded ridge. The Scala Saracena can be reached from Contrada Uttara. There, it begins on the banks of the Ghiodaro River near an old water mill and leads to Contrada Rocche. This allows you to combine paths to historic destinations with impressions of the landscape when planning your trip, without any specific distance or walking time being inferred from this.

The religious landscape includes the Madonna della Libera sanctuary on Colle Mongilone. It replaced an earlier wayside chapel dedicated to the Virgin. The Santuario Madonna della Catena was built at the beginning of the 15th century next to the ruins of a Greco-Roman aqueduct. A’ Vina is a spring along the road to this Santuario Madonna della Catena.

Festivals with Religious and Culinary Character

The festivals of Mongiuffi combine faith, remembrance and local traditions. The Festa degli Angeli is a peace festival introduced by Marchese Francesco Rao Corvaja in 1830 to reaffirm the restored harmony between the two communities. The sacred pageant of this Festa degli Angeli is repeated every Easter Monday.

The Festa di San Sebastiano takes place on 20 January and includes a procession through Melia. Blessed arrows made from bread dough and baked in a wood-fired oven are distributed during the procession. The Festa di San Leonardo is celebrated on 6 November following a preparatory novena; the procession statue of the saint is publicly displayed beforehand. The festival also includes the presentation of a traditional braided bread called Cuddura, as well as the distribution of smaller Cuddure to the procession participants.

Another date of interest for those interested in regional flavours is the event “San Martino, Odori e sapori della Valle del Ghiodaro”. It takes place every year around mid-November. If you are looking for a hotel in Mongiuffi, you can plan your trip around the historic churches, paths and these fixed dates.

Getting There from the Direction of Messina

From Messina, the route follows the A18 towards Taormina, then the SS 114 towards Letojanni, as well as the SP 13 and SP 11 towards Mongiuffi Melia. The various destinations and festivals give you the opportunity to tailor your stay to your interests, combining sacred art, ancient buildings, paths and regional traditions.

Other Places for Your Trip to Italy

Castel di Lucio, Venetico, Piraino, Gallodoro, Caronia, Fondachelli-Fantina, Calderà and Castello

For the higher-level travel overview: Messina.