"Excursion to Tindari"

Tindari is a beautiful spot on the North coast of Sicily and is a stunning place to visit with its archaeological site, the Sanctuary of the Black Madonna and wonderful views of the sea and Aeolian Islands.

Ancient Tyndaris was founded by Dionysus of Syracuse in 396BC. The city walls and Greek theatre both remain intact.

The Sanctuary of Tindari attracts thousands of tourists and pilgrims each year and is situated on a promontory overlooking the sea close to the archaeological site. The church was built on the ruins of an abandoned town and is where The Statue of the Black Madonna is kept. Supposedly found in a case by fishermen in the ninth century, the statue of the Madonna with child is Byzantine in origin. Many miracles have been attributed to the statue, and over the centuries, pilgrims have come to pay their respects to the icon.

The region of Tindari is a unique natural spectacle, with The Lakes of Marinello and its own nature reserve. There is an impressive tongue of sand that stretches out into the Tyrrhenian Sea. This is a small glimpse into a world full of incredible natural beauty.

When driving north from Taormina passing Messina on approach to Tindari the first thing you notice is the church glistening from its hilltop position. The journey takes approximately 1 hour and 20minutes. We would recommend leaving your car in the carpark at the bottom of the hill and climbing up by foot or there is a shuttle bus.

The church was built in the 1960’s as a sanctuary to house the Black Madonna. The Byzantine statue is carved in cedar wood and underneath it a plaque says Nigra sum, sed Hermosa (“Black I am, but Beautiful”)

After peeking inside the church, outside you can look down and admire the beauty that the sea has created in the sands down below. There are many lakes and according to legend, when a child accidently fell from the promontory of the sanctuary towards the sea, the black Madonna produced a soft sand mattress, the sea then miraculously retreated and the little girl lay safely on the sand.

When planning a visit to Tindari take into mind the opening hours of the sanctuary as it closes during the day for lunch and times vary in summer and winter. Also on September 8th pilgrims flock to the sanctuary to pay their respect for the Madonna’s feast day.

Next pay a visit to the archaeological site which lies at the end of a path that starts in front of the sanctuary. The ruins of ancient Tyndaris, which is either side of the Decumnus Maximus (Main Street,) has ancient roads running off it. Here you will see homes with mosaic flooring and signs of heating and drainage systems, also there is a basilica restored by the Romans with arches which spans the street.

The theatre built by the Greeks, then rebuilt by the Romans had a capacity of 3000 seats, it is still in use for classical dramas and concerts in the summer months, it was erected in a position to take advantage of the view out to sea. The theatre like the one in Taormina is nestled in the natural contours of the surrounding hill.

There is also a small museum containing finds from excavations of the site and reconstructions of how the ancient town would have looked.

Maybe some of you might recognise Tindari from the Inspector Montalbano episode ‘Excursion to Tindari’ where the plot involves an elderly couple who go missing after a trip there and ends with Salvo and his deputy, Mimì, accompanied by their girlfriends, enjoying a moment of tranquillity at the Shrine of the Black Madonna whilst having their photo taken overlooking the breath taking views.

Below Tindari you will find the beautiful beaches forming part of the Marinella Lakes Natural Reserve where lagoons and sand dunes provide home for many migratory birds. The fine sand and clear waters are irresistible and there are a few bars for a refreshing drink.


Why not arrange for an English speaking driver to escort you to Tindari and combine with a visit to Cefalu, a beautiful small fishing village now a popular resort thanks to its amazing beaches.

www.santuariotindari.it
www.teatrodeiduemari.net
www.pattietindari.com
Photo Gallery
Statue of the Black Madonna 

Greek Theatre

Marinella Lakes

Daisy's 'Excursion to Tindari


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