Savoca is a city of art perched on a rocky hill overlooking the Ionian coast. Savoca is known throughout the world for having been chosen as the set for some very successful films such as the award-winning The Godfather by Francis Ford Coppola. The first residential nucleus dates back to the era of Roman Sicily. The site was then frequented in the Byzantine era and enhanced during the Emirate of Sicily, starting from the 9th century. In the 12th century, with the formation of the Kingdom of Sicily, the village became the main center of the Valle d'Agrò and the Sicilian Ionian Riviera. The maximum political, religious, economic and cultural development dates back to this era.
Where is Savoca located? Savoca is a municipality in the province of Messina. It stands on a rocky bivertex hill overlooking the Ionian coast. It is about 40 km from the city of Messina and 20 km from the city of Taormina. Its territory falls within the Valle d'Agrò.
How to reach Savoca? The simplest way to reach Savoca is to use your own car and take the motorway A18 Messina-Catania, exit at the junction for Roccalumera, continue towards Santa Teresa di Riva, then take the SP19 towards Savoca. Savoca is about 8 km from the motorway junction. It is also possible to reach Savoca by train: you need to get off at the Santa Teresa di Riva station and from there take a bus or shuttle direct to Savoca.
What is the best time to visit Savoca?
Savoca can be visited all year round: the welcome and warmth of the Sicilians will amaze you.
But for an unforgettable experience, admiring the colors, tasting the flavors and fully experiencing the traditions, it is advisable to plan a visit on the days of one of the festivals that take place in Savoca during the year.
If you want to know about upcoming festivals and events Click here and you will find a list of the most important ones.
What to see
Savoca is an artistic village that preserves vestiges of medieval, Renaissance and Baroque origins in its territory. The Castello Pentefur stands in a strategic position, on top of one of the two hills on which the town develops. The Gate of the City is what remains of the mighty walls that incorporated the town in the Norman era. The seven districts of the historic center contain an incredible number of civil and religious buildings of considerable value. In its historic center there were 17 churches in ancient times, many of which still exist: Church of Santa Maria in Cielo Assunta, Mother Church and national monument; the Church of San Michele, also a national monument; the Church of San Nicolò, built in the 13th century; the convent, the Church and the Crypt of the Capuchins; the Calvario Church, which stands on the mountain of the same name; the Church of the Immaculate Conception, now a philharmonic centre; the Church of San Giovanni, dating back to at least the 17th century; the Church of San Biagio, a private chapel of ancient origin. Other churches are reduced to ruins: the
Church of San Rocco, of which only the perimeter walls remain, the sixteenth-century Church of Jesus and Mary, and the ancient Sinagoga. No longer exists: The Church of Santa Lucia which stood in the place where the municipal palace is today and the Church of Sant'Antonio Abate, built towards the end of the 15th century, wich ruins are buried in the site where the tennis court is located. Other sacred buildings are located in the various hamlets of the village: the Church of San Francesco di Paola in Rina, dating back to the 18th century; the Church of Santa Rosalia in Rina, a modern octagonal building built in 1968; the Church of San Nicola, an ancient country chapel located in the Contura hamlet. The historic center of Savoca is dotted with buildings of particular artistic and historical interest: Trimarchi Palace, better known as Bar Vitelli of the Godfather; the ancient Curia Palace, of which only the cornerstones remain, and the ruins of the ancient prison, created from a wing of the aforementioned palace ; the Medieval house with mullioned window; the seventeenth-century Toscano Palace; Crisafulli Palace, today entirely rebuilt; Scarcella Palace, from the 17th century; Cacòpardo Palace, dating back to the 17th century; Trischitta House, an ancient late medieval residence. Of particular interest is the Historical Anthropological Museum of Savoca.
Traditional Festivals, Events, Live Show, Concerts,... Savoca
Among the religious festivals, the Festa di Santa Lucia is of great importance on the occasion of which carries out the Solemn Procession of the Simulacrum of the Saint and the Sacred Representation of the Martyrdom of Lucia in period costumes. The Holy Week rites. In particular, the Good Friday procession between the stations carved into the rock is very evocative. During the Christmas period, the Living Nativity Scene, among the evocative alleys of the historic center of the village. Among the food and wine events of the village of particular interest is the Sagra Saperi e Sapori which promotes the products, culinary specialties and traditions of the village.
Typical food, local wines and drinks, traditional dish to taste in Savoca
You can obviously taste all the typical products of Sicilian cuisine, the most well-known ones, such as
cannoli,
Sicilian cassata, arancini, etc.
But there are some specialties typical of this area that are more difficult to find in other areas of Sicily.
The territory of Savoca is rich in cultivations of citrus groves, vineyards, olive groves, orchards, almond trees, vegetables and rural breeding of cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. The typical specialties of this village are: The pani cunzatu from Savoca, seasoned with local ingredients, la granita ca zzuccarata, the classic Sicilian lemon granita served with zzuccarata, a very crunchy local biscuit seasoned with sesame seeds ; Stoccafisso alla ghiotta, a particular version of this typical Messina dish.
Interesting Facts
Interesting and fun facts, mythology, legend, folk tales and more to know about Savoca
