Giardini-Naxos
Giardini-Naxos: a municipality on the Sicilian coast
Hello friends, today I will tell you about Giardini-Naxos, a municipality in the metropolitan city of Messina in Sicily. With its 9,087 inhabitants, it is a seaside town on the eastern coast of the island.
Physical geography
The territory of Giardini-Naxos is mostly flat and faces the Ionian Sea. It borders to the north and west with Taormina, to the east with the sea, while to the south it is separated by the Alcantara river and the municipality of Calatabiano. The center of Giardini-Naxos is located at an altitude of 5-39 m above sea level, but the highest point of the municipality reaches up to 210 m in the Mastrissa district.
Climate
The climate in Giardini-Naxos is pleasant almost all year round. In winter, temperatures are mild, around 12°C, with very little rainfall and exceptionally cold days with temperatures almost at 0°C. Spring is earlier than in other Sicilian locations, with average temperatures around 18°C. Summer is hot, reaching maximum temperatures of 28°C and rainfall is rare. In autumn, rainfall increases, but temperatures remain around 18°C on average.
History
Foundation of the Greek colony
The area where Giardini-Naxos is now located, near Capo Schisò, was colonized in 734 BC by Calcidian colonists, considered for a long time the first Greeks to settle in Sicily. The new colony was called Naxos, like the Cyclades island. Although relatively small, Naxos maintained an important symbolic value, as demonstrated by the erection of an altar in honor of Apollo Archegetes. It was also a starting point for Greek ambassadors returning to their homeland.
The end of Naxos
During the Peloponnesian War, Naxos sided with Athens, but when the Athenian military expedition to Sicily failed in 413 BC, the Sicilian tyrant Dionysius I of Syracuse destroyed it and built Tauromenion on it, which we now know as Taormina. The inhabitants were sold as slaves and the territory was donated to the Siculi people.
The legacy of the name Naxos
Despite the end of the Greek colony, the name Naxos continued to exist even during Roman times. It was mentioned as a place for horse trading in the Antonine Itinerary of the 3rd century.
In conclusion, Giardini-Naxos, a coastal municipality on the Ionic coast of Sicily, is a place with a pleasant climate all year round and a history that goes back to the ancient Greek colonization of the island. If you have the opportunity to visit, you will not regret it!
