Holiday apartment in Mitta: history, gorges and winding routes

Mitta is located 410 metres above sea level and about 10 kilometres from Casalvecchio Siculo.

Holiday apartment in Mitta: history, nature and trails

The parish church of San Sebastiano stands in Piazza Chiesa in Mitta, Casalvecchio Siculo. As early as the 18th century, Mitta had a church dedicated to Saint San Sebastiano. In the Sicily Region Landscape Plan, Mitta is recorded under code NS_20_09 as a historic settlement core.

The cultural heritage of Casalvecchio Siculo also includes the Church of SS. Pietro e Paolo d’Agrò. It dates from AD 560 and was restored in 1172. The parish museum of Casalvecchio Siculo offers another way to explore the area’s history. It was established to preserve works of art, tools and household objects that would otherwise probably have been dispersed. The surviving items include a white liturgical vestment from the 17th century, finely embroidered and decorated with gold and coral, as well as a silver monstrance dating from 1684.

The museum also preserves evidence of the rural and pastoral culture of Casalvecchio Siculo. This includes a stone grain mill and a larger mill with gears dating from 1700.

Gorges, woodland and hiking experiences

The Gole Ranciara were formed over centuries by the erosion caused by the waters of the Fiumara d’Agrò and lie on the border between the territories of Casalvecchio and Limina. On the left bank, in the Mitta area, the ruins of one of the first power stations built in Sicily can still be seen. The facility was built by the Mastroieni family.

The woodland reserve at the foot of Pizzo Vernà is also part of the regional natural environment and is a site of community importance. The Sentiero Vernà is considered a guided hiking trail between Antillo and Casalvecchio Siculo. Its features include the tree species found there: Douglas fir, alder and Atlas cedar.

Winding routes around Mitta

The “Valli Joniche dei Peloritani” route passes through Mitta. It is 60 kilometres long and has more than 70 hairpin bends. Both figures influence the planning of the drive.

The SP 020 di Mitta provincial road connects the SP 019 with its terminus in the Mitta hamlet of Casalvecchio Siculo and runs from 377 to 456 metres above sea level.

The celebrations of San Sebastiano in Mitta lasted two days. During this time, the historic town band of Casalvecchio Siculo played in the hamlet’s narrow streets. At the end of the celebrations, a procession took place with the recently restored simulacrum of Saint San Sebastiano.

Discover more destinations

If you are planning your trip beyond Mitta, you can also explore Pollara, Pettineo, Canneto, Castroreale, Panarea, Capri Leone, Malfa and Giardini Naxos as additional destinations.

Back to the main travel overview: Messina.