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Visit Tindari
Tindari is a town of Greek origin on the northern coast of Sicily, west of Messina and east of Patti.
Your visit should start from the Tindari Museum, which preserves local finds from prehistoric, Greek and Roman times and is divided into several sections. The first section has some important information for tourists about the history and monuments of Tyndaris, archaeological excavations and restorations. There is a large model that reconstructs the scene of the Hellenistic theatre, and Greek and Latin inscriptions. In the second section are the marble head of Augustus, found in the area of the “Basilica”, and two marble statues of winged "Nikai", a tragic theatrical mask in marble, representing Priam, king of Troy. In the third section there are some household objects such as mugs, cups and bowls, table, pots for storing food, Greek and Roman pottery, red and black paint figures. Finally, in the fourth section, we find the tombs of the Hellenistic and Roman necropolis, urns in lead and glass jars in terracotta, lamps, terracotta votive medallions with figures in relief, and some "lekythos" (vases for oils and ointments) with black figures.
Ancient monuments in Tindari
Leaving the museum to explore Tindari itself, among the most significant monuments of the ancient "Tyndaris" are the Basilica, built, according to some scholars, in the early Roman Empire at the end of the first century BC. Initially, it was regarded as the "gymnasium" or the place in charge of the gymnastic exercises; after which it was thought that it might be a market or a place of worship. According to recent studies, it would be a monumental Greek “agorà” (corresponding to the Roman “Forum”). The building is constructed with blocks of sandstone, squared and stuck on one another through slots and grooves and divided into three levels, of which the first and the second have survived. The façade is decorated with three orders. The lower floor has six pairs of semi-columns with Doric capitals, which support a frame and the upper floor is characterized by semi-columns with Ionic capitals, topped by a frieze and a third frame. In Roman times, as described by Cicero, it was surrounded by porticos and adorned with statues.
Another major monument in Tindari is the theatre, built in Greek times between the end of the fourth and third centuries BC, which could hold about 3,000 people. The arena was surrounded by a high podium, which may have reached 2.5 meters in order to protect the public from the dangers of the gladiatorial “ludi” (“Games”). At the edge of the orchestra there is the scene of Hellenistic origin, with a diameter of about 18 meters. The façade, 12 meters high, was decorated with three rows of statues and Doric columns, as shown by the model presented in the Museum.
A final but important characteristic of the ancient "Tyndaris" are the city walls, still largely visible today. Originally, they were three kilometers long, three feet wide and just over seven meters high, with two towers and into which three gates opened. The walls were formed by large and multi-faceted blocks of rectangular and square stone. The first wall, going back to the founding of the town in the fourth century BC, was built with a rather poor technique, with dry stone masonry plaster, reinforced with pillars of stone. Later, in the first half of the third century when the new town was built, the walls were made more sturdy undergoing renovations in the Roman and Byzantine periods. The walls survived the destruction of Tyndaris. Today the southern section, which is outside the archaeological park, remains in good condition. In the first section there are the remains of the first walls of the fourth century BC. The Greek walls, for the most part collapsed or buried, overlap those built in the late Roman Empire (IV-V century AD), with blocks taken from the ruined monuments of the ancient town. Later, began the magnificent structure of the second wall of the third century BC. Near the two towers, there are the remains of a Roman necropolis that extended outside the city.
Other Tindari highlights
Among the buildings of Christian origin is the shrine of the "Black Madonna" - the shrine of Our Lady of Tindari occupies the top of a hill. Inside the church is an effigy of the "Black Madonna", a wooden sculpture perhaps from Syria or Egypt, where it was carved around the twelfth century. The sanctuary is situated at the eastern end of the promontory, overlooking the sea at the ancient acropolis, where a small church was built on the ruins of the abandoned town. The church, destroyed in 1544 by Algerian pirates, was rebuilt between 1552 and 1598. The sanctuary was re-built recently.
Besides the monuments, Tindari is equipped with bathing facilities, as at Tindari Bay, with views of the Aeolian Islands and Vulcano, next to pine and eucalyptus woods. In this way, in a setting among nature, history and archaeology, the tourist can try the local cuisine, such as the so-called “ pasta ncasciata” and among the main courses the “cod to Messina”, accompanied by the black and white “pignolata”, and the "Malvasia" from Lipari, a famous dessert wine.
See also Tindari history and etymology.
See the the Sicily travel guide for more places to visit in the same region as Tindari.