Surroundings, Messina

LocationThis attractive fishing village, which has developed into a resort, is situated in the eastern part of the north coast at the foot of the headland of the same name.HistoryThe ancient town of Agathyrnon once probably stood on this promontory. According to Diodorus it was founded by Agathyrnos, the son of Aiolos, the god of the wind. The only other piece of history to have been handed down about the town is that in 210 B.C. the consul Marcus Valerius Laevinus uprooted 4000 exiles, who had settled here, and moved them across to Bruttium. Inscriptions and coins have not been found.A collection of contemporary art can be seen in the town hall. On the headland jutting out to the north, can be seen the ruins of a castle and a pilgrimage church dating from the 16th century. To the east of the promontory extends a stretch of coast 2km/1mi long with bays and rocky cliffs. It leads to the holiday village of Test del Monaco.Cultural eventsOn August 15th a procession of boats takes place.

LocationThis resort, which with its thermal springs of Ciapazzia and Fonte di Venere forms part of the municipality of Terme Vigliatore, is situated on the wide bay of the Golfo di Piatti on the northern coast of Sicily.

LocationThis mountain village lies at a height of 560m/1,837ft, not far from the north coast, and owes its importance to the monastery of San Filippo di Fragalà with its church consecrated to Saint Philip.

LocationThe pretty town of Giardini lies below Taormina on the east coast of Sicily, on the bay between Capo Taormina and Capo Schisò. Long stretches of sand and shingle beaches have led to it becoming a popular holiday resort.

LocationThis little town in the northeast of Sicily has a superb position on the western slope of the 960m/3,150ft high Monte Burello, above the Torrente Elicona. It is a starting-point for mountain walks and drives.

The Monti Nébrodi, also called Caronie, are composed of chalk and sandstone and constitute a continuation westwards of the Monti Peloritani range. At Monte Soro they rise to a height of 1,847m/6,060ft and at Rocca di Novara to 1,430m/4,692ft. Their border with the Monti Peloritani can roughly be taken to be the SS 185 (Taormina-Castroreale Terme), while the line with the Madonie range to the west is the area around GangiRound tripThis range is accessible through various mountain roads, for example from Sant'Agata di Militello on the north coast; from there the mountain hide-out of San Fratello is reached, followed by the watershed of Portella della Femmina Morta (1,524m/5,000ft) and finally on a road off to the left, Monte Soro (1,847m/6,060ft, view).

The Peloritani range is the Sicilian continuation of the Aspromonte on the Italian mainland and stretches from Messina southwestwards. It is made up of gneiss, crystalline slate and granite, while deep indented valleys, the fiumare, characterize the landscape.The highest mountains are the Rocca Novara (1,340m/4,396ft), the Pizzo di Verna (1,286m/4,219ft) and the Antennamare (1,124m/3,688ft). The latter can be reached from Messina on a panoramic road which follows the line of the ridge.In the west the Monti Peloritani merge with the Monti Nébrodi, the line between the two running more or less along the SS 185 (Taormina-Castroreale Terme).