The province of Messina
Itala |
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Itala (Zip Code 98025) is 274 km. distant from Agrigento, 208 km. from Caltanissetta, 82 km. from Catania, 179 km. from Enna, 21 km. from Messina, which province it belongs to, 280 km. from Palermo, 186 km. from Ragusa, 140 km. from Siracusa, 379 km. from Trapani. Photo © info@itala.org
The municipality has 1.798 inhabitants and an area of 1.068 hectares for a population density of 168 inhabitants per square kilometre. It rises on a hilly area and is 195 metres above sea-level. The Town Hall is placed in via Umberto I, tel. ++39 090-952377 fax. ++39 090-952155. The centre is prevalently agricultural. Products mostly cultivated are citrus fruit, cereals, olives. The name of the pretty village derives from Vitulia, the ancient denomination of Ionic coast which from Messina goes to Taormina and means "land of calves", animals that in this area were sacred to god Sun. We have not many information about the origins of the centre but we know that its foundation dates back to an older age than Norman period. Photo © info@itala.org
Later it was given by the Count Roger to the Monastery of St. Peter. It has been part of the commune of Scaletta Zanclea from 1928 to 1947 when it gained the indipendence. The most interesting monuments are the Cathedral Church built in the XVI century; the Church of Madonna della Catena of the XVI century and the Church of St. Peter built in the XI century. Among famous citizens of Itala we cite the agronomist Pietro Cuppari (1816-1870) who was professor of agriculture at the University of Pisa and he founded the modern agronomy in Italy. |
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