Mascali
Welcome to Mascali: a journey into its history
Hello! Today I'm taking you on a journey to discover the history of Mascali, a town in the metropolitan city of Catania in Sicily. With its population of 14,155, Mascali is a small village located centrally between Giarre and Fiumefreddo di Sicilia and north of Catania. Here, I will tell you about the origins of its name and the history of its territory, from its beginnings to modern times.
Origins of the name
The toponym "Mascali" has an uncertain origin but is thought to derive from the Byzantine Greek word ''Μασχάλη'', which means "armpit" or "branchy." According to Professor and historian Antonino Alibrandi, the name refers to the dense forests that covered the territory of Mascali until the beginning of modern times.
From its beginnings to the Middle Ages
It is not known precisely when Mascali's first settlement was established, but various mentions can be found in history. In 593, Pope Gregory the Great, in a letter to the diocese of Taormina, referred to an ancient monastery likely located near the current town of Vena. He mentioned "...Quod est super Maschalas...". The Arabs conquered Mascali shortly after 900, but it was Roger I of Sicily who reconquered it in 1082. In 1092, the vast and fertile territory became a fiefdom assigned to the diocese of Troina first and later passed to the temporal power of the archdiocese of Catania thanks to a donation from the future King Roger II of Sicily to the Archdiocese of Catania Maurizio, in 1124. The Arab traveler Idrisi, in his geographical work known as ''Idrisi's "Book of Roger",' written in 1154, described Mascali as a village nestled on a hill, praising the fertility of the land and the abundance of water. During the 14th century, Mascali played a role in the long Sicilian Vespers, suffering a prolonged siege in 1357 by the Calatabiano, allies of the French.
Modern Age
In 1543, the Bishop of Catania, Niccolò Maria Caracciolo, obtained from Charles V the "mere and mixed empire," that is, civil and criminal jurisdiction over the territory, officially establishing the County of Mascali. It owned the territory for about two centuries, assuming the title of "Comites Mascalarum" (Counts of Mascali).
The earthquake of 1693 and the reconstruction
In 1693, an earthquake destroyed the town. The reconstruction of Mascali took place in the 18th century in a slightly different position from the original town and a few kilometers away from the sea. This reconstruction lasted about a century and developed around the church of San Leonardo.
The eruption of Mount Etna in 1928
In 1928, an eruption of Mount Etna once again destroyed the town center of Mascali. The new reconstruction began in the 1930s in the locality of "Casa del Nespolo" and later along the new eastern Sicilian road.
Conclusions
Here ends our journey into the history of Mascali, a town that despite the destruction and the passing of centuries, has been able to rebuild and develop in a new location with great strength and will. If you ever happen to visit Sicily and pass through this area, do not hesitate to stop in Mascali and discover its millennia-long history.
