THE
HISTORY :
Placed
on the Nebrodi mountains,
S. Marco d'Alunzio was founded in pre-Greek period.
Infact , during the Ellenic colonization, the old
Aluntium was one of the most important town of the
Sicily tirrenic coast. During the Arabian invasion,
it became the centre of the Christian resistence,
for that reason they called it Demenna, that means
the resistent. But it was in Normann period, under
Roberto il Guiscardo, that it was named S.
Marco.
There
are a lot of architectonic elements which testify
the rich and glorious history of that town: the Ercole
temple, built in IV Century b. C. and changed in Cristian
Church (S.Marco); the S.Teodoro church, a precious
Bizantin monument with a Greek crossed map; the Aracoeli
church, XVII century; the medioeval S.Basilio church,
with its apse dated 1300; S.Agostino church, with
the Filangeri's Sarcophagus; the Badia Grande, a Normann
basilica, founded by Queen Margherita of Navarra;
and a lot more. We can say S.Marco is a museum-town.
Speaking about the products of the place, we found
the S.Marco red marble, that comes from the near mine
and the wonderful embroidery, made with old tecniques.
Finally, the place where S.Marco is located is a marvellous
natural terrace on Tirreno sea, so you have a 360°
view, from the Eolie Iselands to the Cefalù
Stronghold.