Città Giardino
Città Giardino: a hamlet of Melilli
Città Giardino is a geographical hamlet of Melilli, a municipality in the province of Syracuse in Sicily. It is located near the Neolithic village of Stentinello and is spread over what remains of the extensive administrative island of Melilli, which was largely merged with Priolo Gargallo when it obtained municipal autonomy in 1979. It borders Priolo Gargallo to the north and Siracusa to the southwest, while to the east it overlooks the Ionian Sea, in the Gulf of Augusta, corresponding to the old settlement of Marina di Melilli, abandoned to allow for industrialization expansion on the coast.
History
Città Giardino was born in the late 1960s, when the first homes were built in 1965. The first family settled here in 1969. The first homes were mainly located in the "Spalla" district and in a small area where the Neolithic village of Stentinello stood. The town developed rapidly thanks to its predisposition to become a garden city.
The electrification began in 1969 and was only completed in 2001 for the public lighting system. In 1971, work began to build the water network, and in 1972, the telephone network. In 1978, with a multi-classroom, the elementary school was established, and in 1983, the kindergarten. The Municipal Administrative Delegation became operational in 1981. In 1984, the parish dedicated to Saint Bartholomew the Apostle was inaugurated.
Between the settlement and the State Road 114 Eastern Sicula, in the 2000s, a large artisanal and commercial area developed, thanks to the construction of the provincial link road connecting with the Siracusa Nord interchange of the new State Road 114. The first activity to open was a bowling alley, followed by an aqua park and a shopping center inaugurated in 2003, two hotels, a nursing home opened in 2018, and finally a supermarket with some shops nearby.
Monuments and places of interest
In the hamlet of Città Giardino, along the "Picci Stream," you can admire caves with lakes, stalactites, and stalagmites. Among the caves, the most famous is the "Palombara Cave," which extends for over 800 meters and is the second-largest cavity in southeastern Sicily. The Palombara Natural Reserve was established precisely to preserve its important natural habitat. To the west, traces of the ancient "Thapso" aqueduct and the ancient Galermi aqueduct can be seen.
Other projects and external links
For more information about the hamlet of Città Giardino, you can consult the websites and social media pages of the municipalities of Melilli, Priolo Gargallo, and Siracusa.
