Villafranca Tirrena
Welcome to Villafranca Tirrena, the pearl of the Metropolitan City of Messina!
Located in Sicily, Villafranca Tirrena is a municipality with a population of around 8062 inhabitants. The municipal territory extends between the Tyrrhenian Sea and the municipality of Messina, in hilly areas that give way to a flat area on which much of the urban center is located. In addition, most of the municipal territory is used for specialized crops, such as citrus orchards, vineyards, and olive groves.
A brief history of the municipality
The municipality of Villafranca Tirrena was established in 1929, with the merger of the municipalities of Bauso, Calvaruso, and Saponara-Villafranca, to which the fractions of Divieto and Serro of the municipality of Messina were also added. However, in 1952 the municipality of Saponara-Villafranca became autonomous again under the name Saponara.
Places of interest
The municipality of Villafranca Tirrena offers many tourist attractions, including some magnificent churches.
The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, completed in 1976 and consecrated on June 26 of the same year, is one of the architectural treasures of the municipality. With a decidedly post-conciliar imprint, it consists of a semicircular hall, in which the altar, the ambo, and the baptismal font occupy a very visible position, with white marble contrasting with the reinforced concrete structure. The interior is enriched with multicolored stained glass windows made by the Favaron Company of Milan, an iron and glass door made by the Villafranca artisan Vincenzo Pellegrino, and the Tamburini organ, installed in 1978.
The Church of St. Gregory the Great is another church located in the city. It was built in 1900 and, although its interior has been repaired several times, many of its original ornaments are still present. St. Gregory the Great Church is particularly important because several religious festivals of the city are celebrated there.
Finally, the Mother Church of St. Nicholas of Bari (Castello), dedicated to St. Nicholas of Bari, the patron saint of Villafranca Tirrena, was built in the 1800s probably on the remains of an earlier ecclesiastical building. The church is decorated with a painted cross from the 16th century (attributed to Mariano Riccio), a Madonna with Child from the Calameccan workshop and two wooden sculptures (one of the Madonna di Portosalvo and the other of St. Nicholas of Bari, executed in 1859 by the Messina artist Mollica). In the church there is also a marble plaque on which a poem by Felice Bisazza, dedicated to Maria Antonietta Pettini, wife of Count Francesco who died in 1844 at the age of 26, is carved.
Conclusions
In conclusion, if you are looking for a municipality that is the perfect combination of natural beauty and culture, Villafranca Tirrena is for you. This Italian metropolitan city will not only offer you wonderful green and flowery hilly landscapes, but will also welcome you with some of the most beautiful expressions of Sicilian cultural heritage. Come visit us, we are waiting for you with open arms!
