Tusa, Sicily

Tusa is a city in the province of Messina in the Italian region Sicily, with 2996 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012).

Location and data

Tusa is 166 km away to the west of Messina and 95 kilometers east of Palermo. The inhabitants mainly work in agriculture. The motorway junction Tusa is located on the A20.

The districts include Castel di Tusa and Milianni. Borders the following municipalities: Motta d' Affermo, Pettineo and San Mauro Castel Verde ( PA).

History

In the field of Tusa, just below the city to the north, are the ruins of ancient town of Halaesa. Halaesa was founded in 403 BC. After the Roman times it was the seat of a diocese. The town was destroyed to Arab times. The population fled to the existing and higher elevation, which is the main town today and was secured by walls. In the period of Norman rule, the place in a Rocca was transformed with towers. After that, the place of the family Ventimiglia Ventimiglia di Sicilia was dominated. In the 20th century the city suffered heavy emigration. While at the beginning of the century were still around 7000 inhabitants in the town, there are at present less than half.

Attractions

• Medieval city center
• The ruins of the ancient city Halaesa
• Chiesa Matrice, church from the 16th century.
• Chiesa di San Giorgio, already mentioned 1454 church with adjoining Benedictine monastery.
• Chiesa di San Leonardo, 1572 resulting church Capuchin Convent. Contains the work of Santa Maria degli Angeli e sant by Durante Alberti ( 1580).
• Chiesa di San Nicola di Bari church from the 15th century.
• Chiesa di San Pietro, church, dating back to 1555.
• Chiesa di Santa Caterina d' Alessandria, church from the 16th century, just outside the city walls in the Borgo. Was damaged during the earthquake in 1693 and restored in 1718. The earthquakes of 1908 and 1968 left more damage that were fixed later.
• Chiesa di Santa Lucia e Convento dei padri Agostiniani Most Holy Salvatore, Church and Convent, both founded in 1530.