Mongiuffi Melia is a small comune sparso in the Peloritani area, within the wider territory of Taormina, formed by the two hill villages of Mongiuffi and Melia. They face one another across the Ghiodaro River, joined by a bridge in the Ghiodaro Valley at the foot of Monte Kalfa, where vineyards, olive groves, plane trees, caves and Mediterranean vegetation shape a quiet rural setting.
Its identity comes from this double village character and from a long historical memory. The territory was crossed in Roman times by the ancient aqueduct linked to Taormina, while the name Melia is connected in local sources with the mythological nymph Melia. Later traces recall Greek, Byzantine, Arab, medieval and feudal phases, including the 17th-century marquisate associated with Giuseppe Barrile and the long line of local marquises that lasted until the early 20th century.
Today, Mongiuffi Melia feels defined less by scale than by layers: two distinct centres, a valley landscape, strong Marian devotion and signs of Arab-influenced village fabric, all giving it a character unlike a single, compact Sicilian hill town.
Patron Saint:
Saint Sebastian (San Sebastiano) – 20 January
Nearest Airport:
Catania (Fontanarossa) – (89 km, 01:11)
Neighboring Cities:
