Graniti
Graniti: a commune immersed in the Alcantara River Park
Welcome to the town of Graniti, located in the metropolitan city of Messina in Sicily and with a population of approximately 1434 inhabitants. Graniti is a commune immersed in the Alcantara River Park and located at an altitude of 432 meters above sea level. In the following article, I will guide you in discovering the peculiarities of the place, from the point of view of geography, history, art, and culture.
Physical geography
Graniti is located in the valley of the Petrolo stream, a tributary of the Alcantara River. It is about 15 kilometers from the sea and 3 kilometers from the State Road 185 of Sella Mandrazzi.
History
The name "Casali delli Graniti" is already mentioned in a diploma from 1117 and in 1356 the feud of Graniti was purchased by the nobleman from Messina, Giovanni Mangiavacca. In the 1600s the town was born around a farmhouse wanted by the count of Taormina of the time, but had its greatest development in the 1800s.
Monuments and places of interest
The town houses three churches: the main one is dedicated to San Basilio Magno, another to San Sebastiano, the patron saint of the municipality, and a third that is connected to a convent of Franciscan nuns, dedicated to San Giuseppe. In addition, in the hamlet of Muscianò there is a cave, the location of a claimed apparition of the image of the Madonna to a local devotee, and nearby, first a chapel and then a small church dedicated to it have been built.
Society
With regard to demographic evolution, as of 2022, the city is part of the project of the "First world park of the Mediterranean lifestyle", together with another 103 cities in central Sicily.
Culture
Graniti has also had the opportunity to be the setting for some scenes of famous films. In particular, the funeral scene at the beginning of the film "The Godfather - Part II" was shot in the stream at the beginning of the village, and other scenes were filmed in the hamlet of Muscianò.
Anthropical geography
Graniti is divided into four hamlets: Fejo, Finaita, Muscianò, and Postoleone. Each hamlet offers a variety of dining and agritourism activities to suit all tastes.
Economy
Agriculture represents the main economy of Graniti, which is dedicated to the production of wine, cheese, olives, chestnuts, almonds, peaches, cherries, tangerines, oranges, and lemons.
Administration
The municipality of Graniti is part of numerous supra-municipal organizations, including the agricultural region n.10 (Coastal hills of Taormina).
Conclusions
In summary, Graniti is a commune that, although small in size, presents a variety of attractions and peculiarities that make it a place to visit. Its position in the Alcantara River Park, its ancient churches, and its attentive agricultural economy are just some of the elements that make Graniti a unique and fascinating place.
