Nicolosi
Nicolosi: the gateway to Mount Etna
Hi everyone! Today I want to talk to you about Nicolosi, a town in the metropolitan city of Catania in Sicily, which has a population of 7,599 and is located on the slopes of Mount Etna, the tallest active volcano in Europe.
Territory
The town extends among various pyroclastic cones, the most important of which are the Monti Rossi and the hill of Mompileri. The municipal territory reaches the summit of the volcanic structure and houses the headquarters of the Etna Park. Thanks to its strategic location between the sea and the volcano, Nicolosi has historically been known as the "gateway to Mount Etna".
Climate
The altitude influences the town's climate. Summer is much cooler and more temperate than the Ionian coast of Catania, while winters are colder and it snows on average a couple of times a year.
History
The town probably owes its name to the Monastery of San Nicolò l'Arena (Nicolosi), located in its territory since 1359. The chosen location was where there had already been a hospice for sick monks since the twelfth century, which had hosted Queen Eleonora d'Angiò who died there on August 9 of that year.
The slopes of Mount Etna began to be populated by monasteries, such as the Santa Maria la Scala, Santa Maria di Novaluce, Monastery of San Leone da Pannacchio, Chiesa del Santissimo Crocifisso (Santa Maria di Licodia), and the Abbey of Santa Maria di Maniace. The Monastery of San Leone was the first to be built in 1136 by the will of Enrico del Vasto, Count of Policastro and Prince of Paternò.
Origins
The territory on which Nicolosi was later built was occupied by forests before the Norman conquest of 1061-1091. Ruggero I of Sicily divided the territory into feudalism, which he entrusted to both the soldiers who had supported him in the enterprise and the Catholic Church, particularly the Order of Saint Benedict. In this way, he and his successors were able to exploit the territory with agriculture and, at the same time, control the economy of the entire island.
In 1092, the city of Catania and the Etna territories were entrusted to Abbot Bretagna Angerio da Sant'Eufemia. The part of the Etna territory on which Nicolosi was to later emerge and develop was entrusted to the custody and barony of a certain Letho.
Curiosity
Did you know that Nicolosi was used as a film set for the movie "First Man" starring Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy? It was filmed here because it resembles the moon!
In short, Nicolosi is a town with a fascinating history and a unique territory that I absolutely recommend visiting if you find yourself in Sicily.
