San Marco d’Alunzio

San Marco D’Alunzio is a hilltop historic village in the Nebrodi area of northern Sicily, set on the rocky summit of Monte Castro at around 540 metres above sea level. From its position between the Rosmarino and Platanà valleys, it looks towards the Tyrrhenian coast, with the Nebrodi mountains behind it and a compact medieval centre of paved lanes, stairways, arches and underpasses.

Its identity reaches back to the 4th century BC, when the settlement was associated with ancient Haluntium and the Greek name Alontion. Later known as Demenna in the Byzantine period, it took the name San Marco under the Normans; its present form, San Marco d’Alunzio, dates from 1867. The town’s past also includes Greek, Roman, Arab and Norman phases, with Robert Guiscard using it as a base during the Norman conquest of Sicily in the 11th century.

What makes San Marco D’Alunzio distinctive is this layered continuity: a small mountain borgo where ancient names, medieval streets and local red marble still give the village a strong and recognisable character.

Patron Saint:

Saint Mark and Nicholas (San Marco e San Nicola) – 31 July

Nearest Airport:

Catania (Fontanarossa) – (122 km, 02:23)

Neighboring Cities:

Alcara li Fusi, Capri Leone, Frazzanò, Longi, Militello Rosmarino, Torrenova