Castelmola

Castelmola

The village, small and well-preserved, is located on top of a knoll looking straight down onto the Ionian Sea, about 36 kilometers south of Messina, about 49 kilometers north of Catania and a few kilometers from Taormina. The highest point can be  reached by climbing a path from the main square, Piazza Sant’Antonio, to the ruins of a castle. From a unique vantage point in the square you have a splendid view of the Ionian coast, Taormina, the sea and the Calabrian coast.

History of Castelmola

Castelmola’s origins date back to the pre-Hellenic period. Its name derives from the shape of the great rock on which it sits, reminiscent of a mola, or millstone. Perhaps because of its elevated position it was once the real acropolis of Taormina. The history of the two is so interconnected that they cannot be easily distinguished from each other. Mylai was the name of the first settlement, dating back to the Iron Age (VIII century BC), founded by the early Sicilians. This is testified by the discovery of the necropolis of Cocolonazzo. Pottery with geometrically-patterned painted decorations recovered from artificial cave tombs, has made it possible to determine the origin of the first dwellings.

Castelmola Today

The appearance of the village, and its medieval urban structure, remained completely unchanged until 1928. Unfortunately after that date, to create access to the city center, the charming entrance to the village was completely changed. A staircase carved into the rock had led almost to the foot of the castle, as far as the actual entrance door to the center. Today to keep the idea of what was once there, there is an Entrance Arch placed on a limestone staircase. The Municipal Auditorium houses a collection, a veritable trove, of extraordinary photos that testify to its original beauty. Over time, despite the changes made to its appearance, this hamlet village has still managed to retain the magic of its narrow streets, the infinite charm of the old mixed with the new conveying the impression that here time has simply stood still.