Villafranca Tirrena

Villafranca Tirrena is a city in the province of Messina in the Italian region Sicily, with 8698 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012).

Location and data

Villafranca Tirrena located 23 km west of Messina. The inhabitants mainly work in agriculture and tourism.

At the site over the A20 / E90 leads. Villafranca Tirrena has a railway station on the railway line of Messina - Palermo is located. The journey to Messina Centrale is about 15 minutes.

The neighboring municipalities are Messina and Saponara.

History

The site has been mentioned in the Aragonese period. In the 16th century it was a fief of the Cottone family.

Structures

The castle was built in 1590 by Stefano Cottone. In the parish church of San Nicolo is a painted wooden crucifix from the 16th century and a marble statue of the Madonna and child.