Santa Flavia

Santa Flavia is a city in the province of Palermo in the Italian region Sicily, with 10,933 inhabitants (as of 31 December 2012).

Location and data

Santa Flavia is 19 km east of Palermo in the Tyrrhenian Sea. The inhabitants are employed in agriculture, fisheries, tourism and industry.

Districts are Porticello ( fishing port ), Sant'Elia and Solanto. Santa Flavia is connected to the railway Messina -Palermo.

The neighboring municipalities are Bagheria, Casteldaccia and Misilmeri.

History

On the territory of the present municipality of the ancient city was Solunto (Latin: Soluntum, German Solunt ). Soluntum was founded in the 4th century BC. 250 BC, the Romans conquered the city. Then lost Soluntum important.

The present town grew around the Norman castle Solanto. End of the 17th century the castle passed into the ownership of the Sicilian noble family Filangieri together with the fief surrounding it. The towns of Santa Flavia, Porticello, Sant'Elia and also Casteldaccia at the time were part of the fief. The Italian unification from 1861 led, inter alia, to regional reforms. In this context, the present-day communities of Santa Flavia and Casteldaccia formed. In this way, Solanto, the former center of the municipality to the smallest hamlet of Santa Flavia walked.

Attractions

As in other places environment are also several villas in Santa Flavia, who used the nobility of Palermo as a summer residence.

In the resort

• The parish church of Sant'Anna, which was consecrated on 24 July 1785 by Pope Pius VII as Basilica Soluntina. It is located right next to the Filangeri Palace.
• The Filangeri - palace from the 18th century with a beautiful park. The villa also called Filangeri building was the seat of the noble family of the same name and now houses the Town Hall.
• Located between Santa Flavia and Bagheria Filangeri Villa di San Marco from the 17th century. She is known as Castello San Marco and is now used as a hotel. The villa is surrounded by a beautiful Mediterranean garden.
• The villa Valdina from the 17th century, with a chapel with frescoes dating from the year 1631.
• Villino Basile, built in 1874-1878 by the famous architect Ernesto Basile Sicilian. The Basile family used it as a summer residence.
• The neoclassical Villa Spedalotto, built 1784-1794 by Giuseppe Emanuele Incardona on the hill Solanto.
• The well-known because of the mixture of its architectural styles cemetery. It is located between Santa Flavia and Solanto.

In the surrounding area

• The archaeological sites and the Antiquarium of the old city Solunto with the remains of a typical Roman city of Christ's birth.
• The Capo Zafferano, a rocky promontory (226 m high) whose top is a still active lighthouse.
• The Borgo di Santa Nicolicchia between Porticello and Sant'Elia. Here is a picturesque bay with a small harbor. It is location of Agro Dolce, the first Sicilian soap opera.

Festivals

• July 26 is Sant'Anna, the patron saint of Santa Flavia dedicated.
• On September 28, honoring the Madonna Addolorata. She is the patron saint of the fishermen of Sant'Elia.
• The fishermen of Porticello honor from 4 to 6 October their patron saint, the Madonna del Lume.
• For several years, will take place the Solunto Film Festival in the fall.