San Marco d'Alunzio

Infobox CityIT
img_coa =
official_name = San Marco d'Alunzio
name = San Marco d'Alunzio
region = Sicily
province = Province of Messina (ME)
elevation_m =
area_total_km2 = 26.1
population_as_of = Dec. 2004
population_total = 2155
population_density_km2 = 83
timezone = CET, UTC+1
coordinates = coord|38|4|N|14|42|E|type:city(2,155)_region:IT
frazioni =
telephone = 0941
postalcode = 98070
gentilic = aluntini o sanmarcoti
saint =
day =
mayor =
website = [http://www.comune.sanmarcodalunzio.me.it/ www.comune.sanmarcodalunzio.me.it/]
mapy = 14.7000
mapx = 38.0667

San Marco d'Alunzio (Ancient Greek: polytonic|Ἀλόντιον, Ptol. or polytonic|Ἀλούντιον, Dion.; Latin: Aluntium or Haluntium [Barrington|47, notes] ) 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 km east of Palermo and about 80 km west of Messina. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,155 and an area of 26.1 km².All demographics and other statistics: Italian statistical institute Istat.]

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 Calacta. Its foundation was ascribed by some authors to a portion of the companions of Aeneas, who remained behind in Sicily under a leader named Patron (Dionys. i. 51); but it probably was, in reality, a Sicelian town. 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. (Cic. "Verr." iii. 4. 3, iv. 23.) 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.

The city sits atop a lofty hill of steep and difficult ascent, about 5 km from the Tyrrhenian Sea. (Smyth's Sicily, p. 97.) This position exactly accords with that described by Cicero, who tells us that Verres would not take the trouble to visit the town himself "quod erat difficili ascensu atque arduo", but remained on the beach below while he sent Archagathus to execute his behests (iv. 23). Various inscriptions also are preserved at the site, or have been discovered there, one of which begins with the words polytonic|τὸ Μουνικίπιον τῶν Ἀλοντίνων. (Castell. "Inscr. Sicil." p. 55; Böckh, "C. I." No. 5608.) Cluverius, following Fazello, placed Aluntium at a spot near San Filadelfo (modern San Fratello), where the ruins of an ancient city were then visible, and regarded San Marco d'Alunzio as the site of Agathyrna (now identified with modern Capo d'Orlando). It must be admitted that this arrangement avoids some difficulties; but the above proofs in favour of the contrary hypothesis seem almost conclusive. (Cluver. "Sicil." p. 294; Fazell. "de Reb. Sic." ix. 4. p. 384.)

Aluntium minted coins in antiquity, some of which survive.

Demographic evolution

Colors= id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9) id:darkgrey value:gray(0.8) id:sfondo value:rgb(1,1,1) id:barra value:rgb(0.6,0.7,0.8)

ImageSize = width:455 height:303PlotArea = left:50 bottom:50 top:30 right:30DateFormat = x.yPeriod = from:0 till:4000TimeAxis = orientation:verticalAlignBars = justifyScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:1000 start:0ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:200 start:0BackgroundColors = canvas:sfondo

BarData= bar:1861 text:1861 bar:1871 text:1871 bar:1881 text:1881 bar:1901 text:1901 bar:1911 text:1911 bar:1921 text:1921 bar:1931 text:1931 bar:1936 text:1936 bar:1951 text:1951 bar:1961 text:1961 bar:1971 text:1971 bar:1981 text:1981 bar:1991 text:1991 bar:2001 text:2001

PlotData= color:barra width:20 align:left

bar:1861 from: 0 till:1246 bar:1871 from: 0 till:1498 bar:1881 from: 0 till:1605 bar:1901 from: 0 till:2059 bar:1911 from: 0 till:2085 bar:1921 from: 0 till:2205 bar:1931 from: 0 till:2331 bar:1936 from: 0 till:2484 bar:1951 from: 0 till:3726 bar:1961 from: 0 till:3572 bar:1971 from: 0 till:3086 bar:1981 from: 0 till:2508 bar:1991 from: 0 till:2396 bar:2001 from: 0 till:2202

PlotData=

bar:1861 at:1246 fontsize:XS text: 1246 shift:(-8,5) bar:1871 at:1498 fontsize:XS text: 1498 shift:(-8,5) bar:1881 at:1605 fontsize:XS text: 1605 shift:(-8,5) bar:1901 at:2059 fontsize:XS text: 2059 shift:(-8,5) bar:1911 at:2085 fontsize:XS text: 2085 shift:(-8,5) bar:1921 at:2205 fontsize:XS text: 2205 shift:(-8,5) bar:1931 at:2331 fontsize:XS text: 2331 shift:(-8,5) bar:1936 at:2484 fontsize:XS text: 2484 shift:(-8,5) bar:1951 at:3726 fontsize:XS text: 3726 shift:(-8,5) bar:1961 at:3572 fontsize:XS text: 3572 shift:(-8,5) bar:1971 at:3086 fontsize:XS text: 3086 shift:(-8,5) bar:1981 at:2508 fontsize:XS text: 2508 shift:(-8,5) bar:1991 at:2396 fontsize:XS text: 2396 shift:(-8,5) bar:2001 at:2202 fontsize:XS text: 2202 shift:(-8,5)

TextData= fontsize:S pos:(20,20) text:Data from ISTAT

References

*SmithDGRG

External links

* [http://www.comune.sanmarcodalunzio.me.it/ www.comune.sanmarcodalunzio.me.it/]