Longi

Longi is a small mountain village in the Province of Messina, set in the eastern Nebrodi at about 620 metres above sea level. It occupies a natural terrace in the Fitalia river valley, near the north-eastern foothills of the Rocche del Crasto, where steep streets and stone stairways follow the shape of the hillside.

The village has a clearly medieval character, having developed around a fortified centre, while its deeper background is linked in the sources to Greek, Byzantine and Arab phases. Its name also carries traces of that long past, appearing in historical forms such as *Castrum Longum*, *Longum* and *Alongi* before becoming Longi.

Later feudal history connected the settlement with families including the Lancia, the Napoli and the Dukes D’Ossada, adding another layer to its identity as a small inland borgo of the Nebrodi. What makes Longi distinctive is the way its compact medieval layout, elevated mountain setting and older Mediterranean memories remain closely bound together.