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May 12, 2007
Hello from Sicily: A Day of Discoveries
in Milazzo
Well, my week on the Solitaire II, studying Italian and sailing
through the Eolian Islands, had come to an end. Last night our sailing
group officially said goodbye, and my departure date from Sicily
was fast approaching. Only four more days of discovery were remaining.
The Lungomare di Garibaldi, main thoroughfare of Milazzo
A week on a sailboat does many things, but one thing is for sure
– it creates a huge amount of laundry. The entire suitcase
that I had taken onto the boat was in desperate need of a good cleansing,
so it was time to use the washing machine in the spacious five-bedroom
apartment above the Laboratorio Linguistico language school. Claudia,
being from Germany, was in charge of selecting the laundry settings
on this European machine, and shortly after my dirty clothes and
those of two of my shipmates were turning happily in the frontloaded
washer. Then we hung up the clothes on the balcony of our bedroom
and Lorenzo, our favourite Catholic priest, joined us to sit for
a bit outside. After a while he headed off to get his hair cut while
Claudia and I met our other shipmates, Franco and Agnieszka, who
were going to take us on a tour of Milazzo.
The waterfront promenade with a view of the Castello
Milazzo is a town with a population of about 30,000 people on the
northeastern coast of Sicily, located about 50 km from Messina.
It has a long history, dating back to Greek colonization as the
city of Mylai in 716 BC. Milazzo is located on a narrow peninsula
on the Tyrrhenian coastline that protrudes about six or seven kilometers
into the sea. The tip of the peninsula is called Capo Milazzo which
features a variety of restaurants perched on a cliff above the sea
as well as nature areas and an 18th century lighthouse.
A fountain in downtown Milazzo
The downtown of Milazzo is located on the eastern side of the peninsula
around a bay and the south side of the bay is characterized by a
variety of industrial and refinery buildings. Our local expert Franco
explained that Milazzo is quite a popular tourist destination for
Italian travelers in the summer, but is not particularly well known
internationally. It is a reasonably priced destination, much more
affordable than some other extremely popular destinations in Italy.
A freshly caught swordfish
Our apartment at Laboratorio Linguistico is very centrally located
at Via Nino Riolo, just steps away from the Chiesa di San Giacomo,
dating back to the 15h century, and the Lungomare Garibaldi, the
beautiful palm-lined waterfront promenade of Milazzo. Franco took
us along the Via Medici towards the fish market which features two
rows of fish and seafood vendors, selling a large variety of marine
delicacies caught locally. One local fisherman in particular seemed
to enjoy the camera and held up several different fish with a big
smile while his coworker was watching him with an expression of
suspicion. We also saw a huge swordfish, it must have been about
two meters long and was staring at us with its silver-coloured empty
eyes. Another fishmonger had just a head of a swordfish on display,
the body had already been cut up and filleted. Fish markets are
always an assault to the senses, fascinating visually, but the smell
is a different story.
One friendly fisherman, the other one not so much
We briefly stopped at the municipal tourist office in the Municipio
building to get some information on the bus schedules that would
take us from Milazzo to Catania for our return flights and were
rather impressed by the friendly service that the gentleman behind
the counter was providing to us. Now equipped with the knowledge
of how we would get to the Catania airport we continued our walk
along the Lungomare.
The Castello di Milazzo
The Lungomare is a waterfront promenade, fronted on the eastern
side by a long row of attached houses that are several hundred years
old, with a paved walkway that is separated from a busy street by
a narrow lawn and a fringe of palm trees. On the eastern side is
a sandy beach that serves as the starting point for the dozens of
fishermen that have their boats permanently parked along the waterfront.
The Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore forms the northern end of the
of the main section of the waterfront promenade, from where things
get a little quieter.
Ruins of the old orphanage
Franco pointed out a fascinating classical building that used to
be an orphanage, but today lies in ruins. We turned left on Erta
San Domenico, a stone-paved road with an interesting pattern that
would take us up past a series of steps towards the castle, the
“Castello di Milazzo”.
Erta San Domenico, leading up to the Castle
Like all of Sicily, Milazzo has thousands of years of history.
Settled since the Neolithic Age, Milazzo has always had a strategic
location along the Tyrrhenian Sea, used by the Romans and then the
Arabs. The current castle was originally constructed under Norman
rule around 1000 AD and later reinforced in the 15th century by
Alphonso of Aragon. During the 18th Century and the subsequent Bourbon
period it suffered great damage and later became a prison, which
it remained until 1960.
The Castello di Milazzo
The structure was extensively renovated in the 1980s and 1990s.
The castle sits on a rocky promontory with a view towards all directions
and features imposing stone walls aimed at deterring any possible
invaders. The main area of the castle was closed to the public at
this time of day (siesta time) and would not reopen until 3 pm,
but we walked through some of the impressive stone gates and covered
walkways that take you to the inner courtyards of the castle. The
view from the castle’s south side towards the Nebrodi Mountains
and Mount Etna was stunning. The snowy fields at the top of Mount
Etna were clearly visible and not a single cloud was concealing
Europe’s largest volcano.
View of Mount Etna from the castle
Close to the castle is an entertainment area that features many
different bars and restaurants. Although quiet now, this area becomes
vibrant and alive at night time. We continued our walk further north
along the peninsula and Franco took us to a private residential
complex where Laboratorio Linguistico rents some villas for some
of its language students. Hidden behind a big steal gate is a beautiful
estate with gorgeous gardens and subtropical flowers that features
several houses that can be rented by foreign travelers. Franco introduced
us to an older couple who was also here to study Italian, and their
abode on the edge of the cliff with a perfect westward view of the
Sicilian coastline, featuring Milazzo Castle towards the south,
was breathtaking.
Milazzo Castle
We decided to explore the western side of the Milazzo peninsula
and took a steep path down towards the beach, with Milazzo Castle looming overhead on our left hand side. The flat pebbly beach is
several kilometers long and on this Saturday afternoon was quite
deserted. Only a few sun worshipers were out and enjoying their
time on the waterfront. The water had a light blue turquoise colour
to it, but when we looked closer we saw huge swarms of jellyfish
washing ashore all along the coastline. That may have explained
the reason for the absence of bathers.
A quiet beach in Milazzo
After this extensive walk in the warm sun it was time for another
granita, a typical Sicilian treat featuring crushed ice in a variety
of flavours. So Claudia and I walked towards downtown again and
found a little local bar where we sat down for a solid hour or so
to relax and enjoy a cool drink Franco and Agnieszka had already
proceeded back towards the apartment, while the two of us, real
sailing buddies, were enjoying our last afternoon together since
Claudia was going to fly back to Germany early tomorrow morning.
We both realized how much we had enjoyed this sailing trip and what
an intense experience this kind of trip can be.
Beautiful flowers
On our way back we passed by the Piazza Roma and the Monumento
ai caduti (Monument to the Fallen Soldiers), constructed in 1924
during Italy’s fascist era. Back at the apartment we cooked
up some pasta with fresh tomatoes and enjoyed our home-cooked meal.
The Monumento ai caduti
Our late afternoon lunch eliminated the need for a dinner, but
we still planned to take one final walk through Milazzo before Claudia’s
departure. Around 8 pm we admired the daily ritual of the “passegiata”,
the daily stroll where men, women, children, families and seniors
come out, many of them dressed to the nines, to stroll along the
Lungomare. This time-honoured ritual exists in most Italian communities
and is a perfect opportunity to see and be seen. Many older men
sit together on benches, discussing the latest in news and sports,
while women walk together, probably debating issues of church and
family.
Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore
A large crowd was gathered at the Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore
since the Madonna of Fatima was on display in the church. The church
was lit up beautifully and many pious locals were streaming into
the church to pay their respect. We strolled around in the area
close to Milazzo Castle, and many of the restaurant’s patios
and terraces were full of people socializing, talking, and having
fun.
A special guest appearance by the Madonna di Fatima
The pleasant evening turned into a beautiful starry night and we
stood on top of the castle hill and looked out over the surrounding
panorama, captivated by the twinkling lights of the city and the
lights farther way in the surrounding mountains. Our bonding session,
which had begun on the sailing trip, continued, and we decided that
if I am ever in the Frankfurt / Mannheim area I would definitely
visit Claudia, while she would always be welcome here in Toronto.
Night falls over Milazzo
Around midnight we finally plopped into bed, rather exhausted.
Claudia was going to leave early tomorrow morning while I was planning
to take the train to the medieval town of Cefalu. After our intense
experiences we definitely needed the rest…
Interesting and useful books about Sicily:
seful links:
Sicily
Tourist Information
Eolian
Islands Tourist Information
Laboratorio
Linguistico Italian Language School
Related articles:
My Italian language learning adventure
in Sicily in 2007
Hello from Sicily: Arrival in Taormina
Hello from Sicily: An
interview with the Sciglio family from Hotel Villa Nettuno
Hello from Sicily: A hike to Castelmola
and a taste of Sicily
Hello from Sicily: An excursion to
ancient Siracusa
Hello from Sicily: A leisurely
Sunday at Isola Bella
Hello from Sicily: Language
studies in Taormina and a walking tour
Hello from Sicily: A country driving tour
around beautiful Mount Etna
Hello from Sicily: A private lecture
about Sicily and the Mafia
Hello from Sicily: A Sicilian
cooking class in Taormina
Hello from Sicily: A hike up Mount
Etna a few days after an eruption
Hello from Sicily: Goodbye Taormina
- Hello Milazzo
Hello from Sicily: Starting my sailing
trip through the Eolian Islands
Hello from Sicily: Discoveries of Lipari
and Salina
Hello from Sicily: A driving tour of
Salina and Italian studies on a patio
Hello from Sicily: Explorations of
Stromboli, featuring an active volcano
Hello from Sicily: Beautiful Panarea
and a nice dinner in Lipari
Hello from Sicily: A driving tour of
Lipari and arrival at Vulcano
Hello from Sicily: Conquering Vulcano
and a final dinner in Milazzo
Hello from Sicily: Discovering Milazzo,
its long history and architecture
Hello from Sicily: An excursion by train
to the medieval treasure of Cefalu
Hello from Sicily: Discoveries
in the Nebrodi Mountains
Hello from Sicily: My final day in
Catania
Presenting:
The Babilonia Italian Language School in Taormina
Presenting:
The Laboratorio Linguistico Italian Langauge School in Milazzo
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