History of Milazzo

We have noted that Milazzo, Province of  Messina, excited scholars’ curiosity ever since the eighteenth century.

The history of Milazzo is deeply rooted in the ancient “Mylài”, and excavations have allowed experts to study the ancient settlement. The history of archeology in Milazzo begins with the discovery of some large necropolis: one dating back to the Bronze Age (fourteenth century BC) and another in “Piazza Roma” ( of the tenth  and seventh century BC). The oldest tombs document the rite of incineration, the ashes were collected mostly in jars. Starting from the sixth century AD were used instead  the sarcophagus, built with more rows of mud bricks stacked.

We begin with a scholarly curiosity really extravagant, of which  spoke us G. Scoglio, who wrote that "[...] Milazzo simply means ‘slip-knot’, namely ‘slip-knot of Messina’, because Messina  keeps it as a slip-knot or a ‘halter’ of an animal; if we remove this slip-knot, it runs away. I remember that the noble Peter of Antioch, my father, told me that Frederick II of Swabia (1194-1250)   told him that if (...) Messina loses Milazzo, it will can not escape  for long time  and will fall into enemy hands " (See G. Scoglio, “Monforte San Giorgio e il suo territorio nel Medioevo” [" Monforte St. George and its territory in the Middle Ages], " Editrice Uniservice , 2007: 52).

Leaving now the amenities, the ancient sources  handed down to  us the former name of Milazzo, or "Mylài" (Strabo [58-25 BC approx.]), borne witness to  Latin sources as "Milae". To be more precise, the name of ethnic "Mylài" was "Mylài-tai", as Hecataeus of Miletus (550-476 BC] handed down to us (See Federica Cordano, “Antiche fondazioni Greche: Sicilia e Italia meridionale”, ["Ancient Greek foundation in Sicily and southern Italy"], Sellerio, 1986:  46 note 24). Already in the eighteenth century some scholars, among the many hypotheses,  have assumed that the term "Mylài" could be interpreted as "moles", "rock": "[...] According to  Francesco Maurolico (1494-1575), Milazzo derived from 'moles', to indicate a ' very large mass of stone', put together and rooted in the earth; a view shared by P. Francesco Napoli, who said that the word derives from the Greek "mylàx," which in our language means 'large stone' [...] "(See, “La Sicilia in prospettiva” [ “Sicily in perspective”, Palermo 1709, Vol II:  237) . This clearly with reference to the size of the Promontory Mountains.

We note that even today this etymology is proposed from various sources, including  the most important  scientific journals. For example, in the  "Quaderni di Semantica", we read that "Milazzo [derives]  from the  Greek accusative “mylàs” ("size")" (See "Quaderni di Semantica", Il Mulino, 1988, Vol. 9: 156). But according to the most authoritative critics seems that the term refers to the special fertility of the countryside around Milazzo and certainly they suggest that the name derives from the Greek word "Mylài", "Mylàs", but with the meaning of "millstone". Along this line of interpretation is G.B. Pellegrini: "[...] 'Mylài', 'Milae' (Pliny), in Cusa, 439, 'Mylài' ethnic Mylaios (Diodorus Siculus), Latinized as ‘Milacium’ , ‘Melacium’.

Derived from the Greek and Byzantine 'tas Mylàs', accusative of  'ai Mylài' ('millstone'), but through the Arabic intermediary, i.e. from Arabic 'milàs', which gave rise to 'Milazzo' [...]" (See G.B. Pellegrini, “Toponomastica Italiana”, Hoepli, 1990: 81-82). Even more specific in reporting the relationship with the fertility of the soil is G. Pirrone: "[...] Milazzo is 'Mylai', according to Thucydides and Diodorus Siculus, from the Greek 'Myle', 'millstone': and millstones for grinding grain and oil mills to grind the olives did not fail some since those times. As Falzello  wrote, 'the town of Mile is fruitful and abundant wheat, wine, oil and grazing of animals' [...]" (See G. Pirrone, “L'isola del sole, architettura nei giardini di Sicilia” ["The Island of the Sun, Architecture in the Gardens of Sicily "], Electa, 1994:  13).

In conclusion Milazzo is the “fertile town”, or  “the city grinding grain  and squeezing  olives into  oil-mils”. And there must be something true, even taking into account that in ancient times "Milae" was called by the Romans as “Aurea Chersoneso” ["Golden Chersonese"] (from "Kersos" (earth) and "Nesos" (island) = peninsula), it was also called “aurea” ["golden"] with reference to the fact that  the fertility of its soil  seemed very similar to Malacca, the  fertile land with which the Romans, according to Strabo and Pliny, had extensive trade relations" (See “Rivista Marittima”, 1894: 322).

Moreover, historically,  Milazzo was founded by Zancle  (Lat. "Messana"-Messina) in 716 BC, according to the testimony of Eusebius [263-330 AD] (Chron. 90-b, H), just to make sure the proceeds from the fertile plains of the small town ( See “Kokalos”, 2002: 392). It’s still a difficult task to define with absolute certainty the date of the foundation, however, according to the very accurate studies of M. Miller, we can state that: […]

As we have seen, Philistos's era year of 756-5 is probably his date for the foundation of Zancle, for the surviving dates of two Zanklaian colonies are chronographically connected with it. Chersonesos Mylai is dates by Eusebius to 717-6 which is 39×1 years later than 756-5, but seems no be connected with other dates […]” (See M. Miller, “The Sicilian Colony Dates” , Suny Press, 1970, p. 184). Milazzo is defined in the ancient sources also as "Froùrion" ("Fortress"), a term that refers to its function as a "military outpost" of Zancle-Messana-Messina. Its history is so intimately connected with the mother-city, which shared its fate. Its dependence on Zancle-Messana is confirmed by the fact that, unlike other colonies, ‘Mylài’ didn’t  ever enjoy the autonomy of its own coins. 

In Roman times the inhabitants of Milazzo enjoyed the privilege of Roman citizenship and it was also the scene of fierce battles between the Romans and Carthaginians, as the naval battles between Caius Duilius (3rd century AD)  and the Carthaginians and Marcus Agrippa (63-12 BC) against Sextus Pompey (67-35 BC). In the early Middle Ages  the Arabs settled permanently in Milazzo and they built the Castle, which included the Donjon with its tower and eight great towers, then modified by the Normans and  Swabians. It was later completed the so-called Aragon Walls and in the sixteenth century began the building of the Spanish Walls . During the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth century, the town gradually changed its urban planning, extending towards the flat area. Today Milazzo is a tourist city that offers a lot both from the cultural point of view and bathing;  in fact, the Bay has two beaches, one gravely (west) and  another  sandy (on the east). It is also the starting point for all connections with the Aeolian Islands, carried out through a service of hydrofoil boats and ferries.