San Marco d'Alunzio

San Marco d'Alunzio (Sicilian: San Marcu, Ancient Greek: Ἀλόντιον (Ptol.) or Ἀλούντιον (Dion.), Latin: Aluntium or Haluntium) is a city and comune (municipality) in the Province of Messina in the Italian region Sicily, near the north coast of the island, located about 120 kilometres (75 mi) east of Palermo and about 80 kilometres (50 mi) west of Messina. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,155 and an area of 26.1 square kilometres (10.1 sq mi).

San Marco d'Alunzio borders the following municipalities: Alcara li Fusi, Capri Leone, Frazzanò, Longi, Militello Rosmarino, Torrenova.

History

Aluntium or Haluntium was situated between Tyndaris and Calacte. Its foundation was ascribed by some authors to Acarnanians led by Patron, some of whom settled here after guiding Aeneas across the Ionian Sea from Greece. If this legend is true the Acarnanian colonists probably were quickly assimilated by the Sicelian, who inhabited this area in historical times. No mention of it is found in Diodorus, nor is it noticed in history prior to the Roman conquest of Sicily. But in the time of Cicero it appears to have been a place of some importance. He mentions it as having suffered severely from the exactions of Verres, who, not content with ruinous extortions of corn, compelled the inhabitants to give up all their ornamental plate. We learn from inscriptions that it retained the rank of a municipium, and was a flourishing town at least as late as the reign of Augustus.