Ucria
| Ucria | ||
|---|---|---|
| Comune | ||
| Comune di Ucria | ||
 | ||
| ||
  Ucria Location of Ucria in Italy | ||
| Coordinates: 38°3′N 14°53′E / 38.050°N 14.883°ECoordinates: 38°3′N 14°53′E / 38.050°N 14.883°E | ||
| Country | Italy | |
| Region | Sicily | |
| Province | Messina (ME) | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Giuseppe Giovanni Lembo | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 26.2 km2 (10.1 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 710 m (2,330 ft) | |
| Population [1] | ||
| • Total | 1,079 | |
| • Density | 41/km2 (110/sq mi) | |
| Demonym(s) | Ucriesi | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
| Postal code | 98060 | |
| Dialing code | 0941 | |
| Patron saint | S.S. Cristo della Pietà | |
| Saint day | May 3 | |
| Website | Official website | |
Ucria is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Messina in the Italian region Sicily, located about 130 kilometres (81 mi) east of Palermo and about 60 kilometres (37 mi) west of Messina. It is located in the Park of the Nebrodis.
Physical geography
Ucria is a small mountain town, between 710 and 790 metres (2,330 and 2,590 ft) above sea level, in the Nebrodi Mountains. It is the meeting point of three major thoroughfares: the State Road #116 (Capo d'Orlando - Randazzo), the Provincial Road #136 (San Piero Patti - Ucria), and the Provincial Road #139. The last of these passes through Sinagra on the way to the sea at Brolo. The Via Padre Bernardino (Strada Statale #116) bisects the town and provides a nice view of the surrounding mountains and the valley.
History
The finds of prehistoric tools, close to the Rocca di San Marco, and a storage room of Roman coins in the locality Arelluso, are evidence of the habitation in antiquity. The origin of the town dates back to the times of the Greeks, while the name is derived from the Arabic "KERYA" which means "village." The two Saracen towers, one in the outskirts that was to serve as a lookout and one in the north of the town, are an indication that the village already existed at the time of the Arabs, and that it represented a strategic location on the way to the sea. From the towers, a series of passages and tunnels that branch off across the area. Since the year 1000, Ucria was dominated by a castle that passed from one power to another, including Norman, Swabian, Angevin and Aragonese. In the Norman period, Ucria was a fiefdom of Abbo Barresi.
Monuments and places of interest
Religious architecture
- Mother Church "St. Peter the Apostle"
- Church of the Virgin Mary
- Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
- Church of the Madonna dell' Annunziata
- Ruins of the Church of St. Maria Della Scala
- Church of Our Lady of the Rosary
- Church of St. Michael the Archangel
Company
Traditions and folklore
- 'Festival of S.S. Christ of Pity 'Patron of Ucria takes place every year on 3 May, and September 14
- 'The Emigrant's Day' is held every year on August 14.
- 'Feast of St. Michael the Archangel' is held every year on the last Saturday of September.
- 'Feast of Our Lady S.S. del Rosario 'is held every year on the last Sunday of October.
- 'Show and Festival Mushroom' is held every year on the last Sunday of October.
- 'Show and Festival Hazelnuts' is held every year in the month of September.
Culture
Museums
- Pedagogical Museum of Arts and Youth Creativity
- Typological Museum of Traditional Arts of Sicily
- Museo della Carta Pesta "Gianpistone"
- Museum of the Nebrodis ethnohistorian "Antonino Gullotti"
- Mosaic Nico Nicosia "Comparing the Two Worlds"
Living plant germplasm bank
The Germplasm Bank of Living Plants is located on Via S. Antonio del Prato in the Municipality of Ucria, and includes the adjacent Botanical Garden, dedicated to the illustrious botanist Bernardino da Ucria (1739 -1796). It houses a collection of plant species of therapeutic interest and a variety of seeds of traditional cultivars of endangered fruits. It was also set up a biological laboratory for the protection and multiplication of germplasm for the conservation of biodiversity.
Notable people
- Bernardine Ucria (1739–1796)
- Anthony Peter Gullotti (1922–1989)
Administration
| Period | First Citizen | Party | Upload | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 - in office | Giuseppe Giovanni Lembo | Civic List | Mayor | II madate |
Twinning
Ucria has signed pact with twinness Gozzano, Italy (No), from May 2014.
Other administrative information
The municipality of Ucria is part of the following organizations supra: agricultural area 2 (Nebrodis north-western)
Institutions
Education
- Comprehensive School Nursery School, Primary and Secondary 1st Grade