The Bay of Tindari, from the Sanctuary of the Black Madonna to the Gulf of Patti

for the world friendship day I decided to rent a car from Sicily Rent Car and go to Tindari, one of my favourite places in Sicily perfect to spend a weekend between besties.

Tindari, a pleasant resort in the Gulf of Patti located within the homonymous municipality in the province of Messina. Founded in 396 BC by Syracusan mercenaries in the war against Carthage at the behest of Dionysius of Syracuse, the ancient city of Tindari owes its name to Tindaro, king of Sparta.

Since then, its history has been a succession of tales, myths and legends that have left an indelible mark on the popular imagination. First a naval base of the Carthaginians, then of the Romans, conquered by the Byzantines and destroyed by the Arabs, it is known for an epic naval battle – the Battle of Tindari – and for the words that Cicero dedicated to it in his Verrines, but above all for the presence of a Black Madonna still venerated at the sanctuary that occupies the summit of the ancient acropolis.

The Sanctuary of the Black Madonna

Not to be missed is the sanctuary of Tindari, located in a highly suggestive place, at the top of a promontory overhanging the sea. In ancient times, the city’s acropolis stood here. Today, the symbol of the sanctuary is the statue of the Black Madonna, entirely made of cedar wood, a typical example of African and oriental art, the Madonna is depicted as a Queen holding the baby Jesus in her arms. And in the base of the statue is a quotation from the Song of Songs “Nigra sum sed formosa”, I am brown, but beautiful.

The Archaeological Area and the Greek Theatre

The archaeological area of Tindari contains the remains of the ancient city: mosaics, sculptures, as well as objects and ceramics preserved partly in the local museum and partly in the Palermo museum. The beautiful Greek theatre of Tindari is certainly the city’s most symbolic ancient monument. It dates back to the 4th century B.C. and was built by the Greeks, although later in the centuries the Romans remodelled the structure to transform it into an amphitheatre for gladiator games.

The theatre of Tindari was built taking advantage of the shape of the hill and could hold 3,000 spectators. When the Romans intervened they built a brick portico and adapted the orchestra into an arena for the games.

The Marinello Beach

But nature is also capable of offering emotions at Tindari. Under the promontory there is a tongue of sand enclosing several stretches of water. The shape of the sand changes according to the action of the sea storms and constantly alters the appearance of the beach, known as Marinello beach, about which ancient legends have been circulating for centuries.

There is also a cave on the beach, the Grotta di Donna Villa, which, according to ancient legend, is inhabited by a sorceress who lured sailors with her singing and then ate them. The holes in the walls are the lunges of the sorceress’s fingers, enraged when the sailors managed to escape.

A weekend of rest and legends awaits you!