Milazzo, Sicily; a city of three parts: ancient, medieval and modern

Visit Milazzo

Milazzo is an important town situated on the coast of north-east Sicily - or rather three 'towns', because Milazzo falls into three parts according to age: at the top of the hill stands the ancient walled city; below it stands the medieval town; while further down again, around the harbour, is the modern town of Milazzo.

Each region of the town has its places of interest but your visit will focus on the older parts of the town.

Explore Milazzo

Sicily Visitor comment: You may end up visiting Milazzo in order to take the ferry to the Aeolian Islands. If you are here and have time head for the lovely Cape of Milazzo and walk the coastal path and visit the colourful Spanish quarter with its pretty houses. The main town is not a tourist destination in itself but is pleasant enough.

The surroundings of Milazzo are somewhat industrial but persevere to the centre and you will be rewarded with some pleasant sights. The harbour area is the liveliest part of town and from here you can catch the ferry to the Aeolian islands. There is also a pleasant harbour side walk and in this part of town there are plenty of restaurants and hotels if you are staying here before your departure.

In the lower part of Milazzo we find the more recent, 18th century, part of the town centred around the 'Piazza Caio Duilio'. This square has the Palazzo Marchese Proto on the western side and the Chiesa del Carmine to the east - the latter noteworthy for the decorative lintel in the portal. Also we find the 'New Cathedral', built in the 1930's but containing much older medieval paintings.

Heading uphill in the medieval part of town there are numerous important buildings including several churches. The first church that you encounter during your visit is the 18th century Shrine of Saint Francesco di Paola, with a facade with a curved staircase, and containing a decorative altar and some fine works of art.

The 16th century Palace of the Viceroy in the old town was modified in the 18th century to add the baroque style balconies - the church you can see from the palace is the Church of SS. Salvatore (18th century). A little way along the road called Via S. Domenico you see the 16th century (rebuilt in the 18th century) Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, with 18th century frescoes.

Continue along the same road to reach the fortified citadel which sits above the town of Milazzo. Milazzo Castle is surrounded by several layers of imposing walls - the first walls you see are the Spanish walls. The castle was built from the first half of the 16th century onwards by the then viceroy of Sicily, Duke Ettore Pignatelli but only completed towards the end of the century after his death, and contains various stables, warehouses, reservoirs and prison cells.

The fort was actually originally begun on the site by the Arabs in the 10th century, on the site of a Greek acropolis that stood here in antiquity. The 360° views from the top of the castle are worth the walk up to the top of the town.

Inside the Spanish walls we find the 'Old Cathedral', dating from the first decade of the 17th century. The cathedral church has the structure of a Greek cross and a central dome, columns with Corinthian capitals and some friezes probably carved by artists from Syracuse. Note also the angels in the shrine above the cathedral portal.

Next are the Aragonese city walls, from the 15th century and characterized by the five towers. Within these walls is a castle built by Frederick II of Swabia - the arched portal is surmounted by the coat of arms of Aragon.

Just outside of the castle entrance is the very pretty Spanish quarter with narrow streets of colourful houses and well worth a walk around.

Before leaving the upper parts of the town walk round the walls to the section facing the promontory and you will find the 'Scarabeo', a scarab beetle carved in black lava. It marks the spot where the sun rises on the summer solstice.

Passing through the region known as Vaccarella and the waterfront in Milazzo, there is a road that heads towards Cape Milazzo offering lovely views, while in the other direction the coastal road continues to the 'Cave of Polyphemus'. This is said to be the place referred to by Homer as the place where the battle between Ulysses and the Cyclops took place.

The coast to the north of Milazzo is a beautiful stretch of rocky coves and clear blue water. The area is popular with scuba divers as the sea is teeming with marine life.

Where to visit nearby?

The ferry to the Aeolian Islands sets off from Milazzo. The trip is well worth taking to explore this delightful group of 7 islands. Lipari is the biggest and most popular of the seven. Stromboli, Panarea and Filicudi are also popular islands with visitors. Stromboli has an 'active' volcano that you can visit!