Capo d'Orlando
Welcome to Capo d'Orlando, a historic and sun-drenched place
Hello everyone! Are you ready to discover something new about Capo d'Orlando? This town in the metropolitan city of Messina, Sicily is famous for its tourism and commerce, but it has an ancient and fascinating history to discover. In my summary, I will talk about the physical geography of Capo d'Orlando, the climate, the ancient history, and its ties to the figure of the paladin Orlando.
Physical Geography
The territory of Capo d'Orlando mainly develops along a narrow plain, closed between the sea and a hilly area. In this area, there are several hamlets: Scafa, Piscittina, Forno Alto, Catutè, Certari, and Malvicino. The city then extends to the western area of the plain, where we find the hamlets of Forno Medio, Trazzera Marina, Piana, Furriolo, Bruca, Vina, Masseria, San Giuseppe, and Tavola Grande. Capo d'Orlando is also famous for its beautiful coastline, which includes the village of San Gregorio and the Testa di Monaco bathing area, bordering the town of Naso.
Climate
The climate of Capo d'Orlando is subtropical Mediterranean, with mild and short winters, and hot and humid summers. Ventilation makes summer days even more enjoyable, and makes it possible to cultivate tropical and subtropical plants throughout the town's territory. According to the Koppen climate classification, Capo d'Orlando falls under the Csa climate zone.
History
Ancient history
The toponymy of Capo d'Orlando dates back to the High Middle Ages and takes its name from the paladin Orlando, who according to legend, would have made a stop on one of the crusades in the Holy Land. But the ancient history of Capo d'Orlando is even more fascinating: Agatirso, the ancient Greek city that corresponds to the current Capo d'Orlando, was founded by Agatirso, son of Aeolus, king of winds and the Aeolian Islands. The city retained the name of Agatirso, "the one who carries the splendid thyrsus," and was originally a sacred city to the cult of Dionysus, symbolized by the thyrsus. In 210 B.C., Agatirno suffered a massive deportation, with about 4,000 people being deported to Calabria by consul Marcus Valerius Laevinus. But in the end, it was the Berbers who invaded the city, erasing any testimonies of their presence. The city returned to the chronicles during the Sicilian Vespers in 1299, with the Battle of Capo d'Orlando between James II of Aragon and Frederick III of Aragon for the regency of the Aragonese in Sicily.
Ties to the figure of the paladin Orlando
The paladin Orlando indirectly appears in the history of Capo d'Orlando: the promontory took its name when Charlemagne, returning from his pilgrimage to Jerusalem, stopped in eastern Sicily. It was thus that the old pagan name of the city was replaced by the name of Cape of Orlando, in honor of the paladin.
And so, dear friends, this is where my summary of Capo d'Orlando ends. These are just some of the curiosities that make this city so interesting and unique. I hope I've piqued your curiosity enough to visit it soon, perhaps during the hot Sicilian summers. Thank you for reading, see you soon!
