Gallodoro
The Municipality of Gallodoro: History and Territory
Hello everyone! Today I will talk to you about Gallodoro, a small town in the wonderful Sicilian territory. Gallodoro is located in the metropolitan city of Messina and has only 345 inhabitants. Its history is very ancient and also presents Greek influences, as evidenced by the archaeological findings. The medieval village of Gallodoro was formed around the church of San Teodoro Martire, becoming, then, the main place of worship of the rural community. The name Gallodoro derives from Vallis Aurea, the name given by the Romans to the valley and, today, it is a city that develops on an interesting theatrical cavea shape with residential buildings attached to each other and suggestive glimpses of rare rural beauty.
Gallodoro and Taormina
For a long time, Gallodoro belonged to the territory of the demanial city of Taormina. However, later on, the territory of Gallodoro was broken up from that of Taormina and sold by the Royal Court to Donna Francesca Porzio, wife of Don Francesco Reitano. In 1641, Don Antonio Reitano was invested with the title of Marquis of Gallodoro, which remained in the family until the 18th century. However, it was because of the famous Messina revolution that Antonio and Placido Reitano lost their heritage and were forced to abandon the project of building a new village, Castillaci, in the territory of Gallodoro.
The sale of the land of Gallodoro
After the confiscation of the Marquisate of Gallodoro, the land was sold to Stefano Oneto and the title of Marquis of Gallodoro to Agesilao Bonanno. However, the King did not approve these sales and later annulled them.
Conclusions
Here is the history of the small town of Gallodoro, which in the past lived under the influence of nearby Taormina and once had a dynasty of Marquises. Despite the difficult past, Gallodoro is a picturesque town where you can still admire the remains of Greek civilization. If you are passionate about archaeology or simply looking for a suggestive place to relax, Gallodoro is one of the ideal places. Come and visit it!
