Ruderi di San Fratello

“Ruderi di San Fratello” encompasses two layers of settlement: the remains of the medieval and modern town affected by landslides, and the ancient city of Apollonia on Monte Vecchio. At Apollonia, Hellenistic and Roman houses, sections of fortification and large cisterns remain visible on the plateau.

Why it matters

The sites preserve a long record of settlement on the ridge and surrounding uplands. The ancient city of Apollonia reveals the earlier urban history of the area, while the remains of San Nicolò di Bari and a surviving fresco bear witness to the landslides that reshaped the modern town in 1922 and 2010.

What to notice

At Apollonia, the regular plan of blocks and streets is still discernible. Sections of the fortification wall date to the early third century BCE, and Hellenistic and Roman houses preserve opus signinum floors. Shops or warehouses and large masonry cisterns formed part of the settlement. In San Fratello, the site of San Nicolò di Bari recalls the church damaged by landslides; one fresco survived the 2010 event. Finds from Apollonia are displayed in the former town hall.

Context and history

Apollonia was a Greek-origin settlement on the summit of Monte Vecchio, above the later town. Its remains include evidence of Hellenistic and Roman occupation, followed by medieval reuse of some rooms. The medieval settlement of San Fratello developed on the ridge below. Landslides in 1922 and February 2010 caused extensive damage, with the latter affecting homes, roads, a school and the church of San Nicolò di Bari.