San Filippo del Mela
Welcome to San Filippo del Mela!
Hello! Today I want to talk about a beautiful Sicilian commune called San Filippo del Mela! This city is located inland from Milazzo, and is characterized by vast alluvial plains to the north and hills to the south.
Ancient history of San Filippo del Mela
San Filippo del Mela has a fascinating history that dates back to ancient Greece and Rome. In fact, we know that within the current communal territory there was a navigable canal constituting the entrance to the Battle of Nauloco, where the two naval fleets of Sextus Pompey and Octavian Augustus clashed on September 3, 36 BC.
But the city was officially founded following a vow for victory over the Arabs by Norman Count Ruggero I d'Altavilla. He entrusted the Basilian monks with an abbey dedicated to Saint Philip of Agira. In the following years, the monastery was endowed with angaric rights and the abbot was entitled to a seat in the ecclesiastical branch of the Sicilian parliament. In 1094, the monastery fell under the jurisdiction of that of Patti and in 1206 under the "prelatura nullius" of Santa Lucia del Mela, constituted by Emperor Frederick II of Swabia.
San Filippo del Mela in modern times
San Filippo del Mela was also the scene of clashes between the Bourbon of Naples and Giuseppe Garibaldi in 1860, but in 1877 the name was added with the epithet "del Mela" after the name of the river that flows west of the communal territory and which is partly its boundary.
The electrical industry in San Filippo del Mela
In the second half of the 20th century, the city grew significantly thanks to the construction of the Enel (now A2A) power plant in the coastal hamlet of Archi Marina. This plant hosts six units, two of 160 MW and four of 320 MW, of which two are decommissioned, for a total of 960 MW currently in service.
San Filippo del Mela today
Today, the city has a population of about 6,675 inhabitants and is divided into different hamlets. The hamlet of Cattafi is located on the hills and attracts many tourists for its natural beauty. Olivarella, the largest hamlet in the commune, is located in the plain along with Corriolo, almost on the border of the town of Milazzo. The hamlet of Archi, near the sea, is home to an important industrial area.
San Filippo del Mela is a city with a fascinating history, an ideal geographical location and a strong growing economy thanks to the electrical energy produced in its industrial zone. If you are ever in Sicily, do not miss the opportunity to visit this beautiful city!
