Antillo

Going along the road into the most inland part of this territory, immersed in the silence of the valley, almost ravished by the pure mountain air and the scents of the rich vegetation, after a long succession of bends, as by enchantment you come to Antillo, where the red roofs of the houses suddenly appear to us, resting on the slopes of a hill surmounted by an imposing rock known as the “Castle Rock”.

In this hill village, the sensation you have is of an old place like the valley that guests it with sweetness, even confirmed by the name: Antillo from ante illius, which precisely gives the idea of “before that”, almost before the others. Others say the name derives from the Greek antelios, “exposed to the sun”, and in the light that in this valley shines all year round see a confirmation of their theory.

Over and above names, light and antiquity are certainly two characteristics of Antillo. It is right in this area, in a hollow in the Montagna Grande that protects the village, that the inhabitants of the area, surprised by the universal flood, are said to have sought a refuge. However, as long ago as the time of the Roman domination, the first inhabitants gathered around the only church, erected on the Monte Schia in honour of St George; they later moved into what is now the Pinazzo area and into the areas around the Agrò stream giving the name to the whole valley, where archaeological finds have been made that date from the Roman and Byzantine epochs.

When the territory later went to the Arabs, the Basilian monks erected a monastery on the Monte Schia. For many centuries, starting from the time of the Norman Conquest, Antillo’s destiny was tied to that of Savoca, though it gained its independence in 1846.

Visiting the village, in an atmosphere of serenity and of balance with nature, one can understand why right there, amid limpid springs, olive trees and pine woods, there arose the idea of placing the imposing “Bell of Peace” - a sturdy bell blessed by Pope John Paul II, which is waiting to be placed on Pizzo Monaco to ring out its knells for people who have gone missing in all wars.

POINT OF INTEREST

Bell for Peace: Dedicated to people who went missing in wars of all time, it is on Pizzo Monaco. It weighs 5 tons and has a circumference of 6 metres. It was commissioned in 1992 from the Pontificia Marinelli Foundry, and Pope John Paul II blessed it on 21 April, 1993.

Mountain stretch of the basin of the Agrò stream: It is a Site of Community Importance (SCI) whose area corresponds for about 90% with the municipal area. 

Santa Maria della Providenza church: The church built at the end of the seventeenth century. Until 1755 it was named after the Most Holy Sacrament. Then in 1773 it was dedicated to St. Mary of Providence. After extensive restoration, it was rebuilt in 1937. Paintings and statues adorn its interior: the statue of St. Mary of Providence done in 1845, the statue of St. Anthony done in 1861; and a magnificent wooden Crucified Christ, life-size, done in 1850.

Agriculture and Sheep-Raising Museum: Set up in the Multipurpose Centre in the village, it displays many tools and objects that were once used by farmers and shepherds in the area.

Artistic ceramic mosaic: A work that adorns the centre, showing the landscape of Antillo and rural scenes.

Old Foundry: The blast furnace, built in 1276, testifies to mining in the area in the middle age.

Borgo Morzulli: An interesting village of medieval origin.

Platani Valley

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