Timeline of Torregrotta

Below is a timeline of the history of the city of Torregrotta, in Sicily.

Ancient Age

• 4th century BC – Small rural settlements of farmers develop.
• 2nd century BC – The Romans create latifundia and, in all likelihood, a permanent residential settlement.
• 36 BC – Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, admiral of Octavian, defeats the fleet of Sextus Pompey in the Battle of Naulochus.

Middle Ages

• 6th century – The Byzantine emperor Justinian I grants the territory to a courtier who builds a casale (rural settlement): the residential settlement and surrounding farmlands are called Casale del Conte (Casale Comitis).
• 870 – The Saracens conquer the Casale del Conte, razing it to the ground, and settle in the present-day contrada Radali. The village and surrounding area are called Rachal Elmelum.
• 1168 – In March, the Norman King of Sicily William II and his mother Queen Margaret of Navarre grant and donate the ancient Casale del Conte to the Benedictine monastery of Santa Maria della Scala in Messina. The feudo (fief) of Santa Maria della Scala, or Feudo Scala, is born.
• 1196 – On 13 January, Queen Constance, to prevent the casale from being taken from the nuns, reconfirms the donation.
• 1209 – In August, Frederick II confirms the previous donations.
• 1220 – Frederick II revokes all feudal privileges he had granted up to that time.
• 1221 – On 11 July, Frederick II reconfirms for the second time the grant of the Casale Comitis to the monastery of Santa Maria della Scala.
• 1267 – On 10 June, the papal legate in Sicily, Cardinal Rodolfo de Chevrières, issues a ruling ordering the return of the fief to the nuns, as it had been usurped by some laymen.
• 1289 – On 3 April, the nuns of Santa Maria della Scala effectively regain possession of the Casale as a result of a ruling of the Magna Regia Curia.
• 14th century – The feudo di Rocca (Fief of Rocca) is established, which will operate alongside the fief of Santa Maria della Scala in the management of the territory. The casale in the Scala fief begins to depopulate.
• 15th century – The fief of Santa Maria della Scala is in a state of abandonment.

Modern Age

• 1509 – On 15 June, the Spanish nobleman Andrea Valdina purchases the fief of Rocca.
• 1526 – On 9 October, Emperor Charles V issues a Licentia populandi, authorising the rebuilding and repopulation of the ancient casale in the Scala fief, providing for the construction of defensive works, namely a castrum or a tower.
• 1585 – First mention in a document of the contrada Grotta.
• 17th century – The church of Maria Santissima della Pietà is built. The economy of the casale, with silk production, is closely linked to that of Rocca, as the Valdina family markets the silk products.
• 1650 – The Merlato portal is built.
• 1743 – A plague epidemic devastates the casale in the Scala fief and all the surrounding fiefs.

Contemporary Age

19th century

• 1812 – Bourbon king Ferdinand IV abolishes feudal privileges and thus all the fiefs of the kingdom, including the fief of Santa Maria della Scala and the fief of Rocca.
• 1815 – On 27 December, the casale is indicated for the first time in an official document as Torre (Tower).
• 1816 – The former fief of Roccavaldina is transformed into a municipality, also incorporating the former fief of Santa Maria della Scala; Torre becomes a subordinate municipality of Rocca.
• 1817 – The paving of the entire via Maddalena is completed.
• 1828 – The Confraternity of Saint Roch is founded.
• 1833 – Construction of the aqueduct from the contrada Maddalena to Torre.
• 1839 – A disastrous flood inundates all the lands of the contrada Grotta.
• 1840 – Hydraulic containment works for the Bagheria stream are carried out.
• 1852 – On 12 October, the Archbishop of Messina, Monsignor Francesco Di Paola, elevates the church of Maria Santissima della Pietà to a sacramental church, but only for sacraments of urgency (baptism and extreme unction), and changes the church's titular to Saint Paulinus, Bishop.
• 1853 – The parish priest of Torregrotta attempts to celebrate two weddings in the church of San Paolino but is immediately stopped by the vicar forane of Roccavaldina and authoritatively reprimanded by the Archbishop of Messina.
• 1855 – The toponym Torre Grotta appears for the first time in a document.
• 1862 – With the approval of Law No. 743 by the Italian Parliament, the land properties of the Monastery of Santa Maria della Scala in the former fief of the same name are confiscated by the state and put up for sale at public auctions.
• 1866 – On 27 January, with a letter addressed to the Vicar Capitular of the Archdiocese of Messina, the priests of Rocca contest the autonomist conduct of the parish priest of Torregrotta.
• 1867 – On 21 January, the last eight lots of land confiscated from the Monastery of Santa Maria della Scala are sold at public auction.

20th century

• 1917 – Attempted riot by the people of Torre to protest against the distribution of essential goods between Roccavaldina and Torregrotta. On 18 July, the municipal delegate of Torregrotta resigns, and on 3 August, the Mayor of Roccavaldina also resigns. On 8 November, the Roccavaldina Municipal Council is dissolved, opening a period of serious administrative crisis.
• 1919 – On 7 September, the war memorial is inaugurated.
• 1920 – Torregrotta surpasses Roccavaldina in the number of inhabitants.
• 1921 – The church of San Paolino is elevated to a parish.
• 1922 – Thanks to two fundraisers among the people of Torre, a fenced area is built to serve as the first cemetery.
• 1923 – On 21 October, with Royal Decree No. 2333, Torregrotta becomes an autonomous municipality.
• 1924 – On 20 May, the people of Torre report irregularities in the population estimate of Roccavaldina in the 1921 census.
• 1925 – On 22 January, the church of the Santissimo Crocifisso is consecrated and opened for worship, and the institute of the Daughters of Divine Zeal is inaugurated.
• 1926 – The works for the provincial road Torregrotta – Roccavaldina are contracted, which will replace the ancient via Maddalena. On 8 July, the first podestà of Torregrotta, Pietro Mezzasalma, is appointed. On 25 November, the King of Italy approves the map assigning the territory to the municipalities of Torregrotta and Roccavaldina based on the number of inhabitants in the 1921 census.
• 1929 – On 25 August, the foundation stone for the town hall is laid.
• 1930 – On 23 May, the podestà Pietro Mezzasalma dies.
• 1932 – On 20 April, the separation of the land registry between Torregrotta and Roccavaldina is completed.
• 1933 – On 4 August, the prefect appoints Aurelio Coppolino as podestà.
• 1936 – On 3 July, the division of assets, rights, and obligations between the municipalities of Torregrotta and Roccavaldina is completed. On 20 July, Antonino Magno is appointed podestà.
• 1941 – The prefect reconfirms podestà Magno, who will not finish his mandate due to the fall of the Fascist regime.
• 1943 – On 29 June, the new church of San Paolino is inaugurated. On 17 August, Allied troops pass through Torregrotta heading for the continent. In October, Gaetano Mezzasalma is appointed mayor but resigns after just over a month. On 7 December, Giuseppe Saladino is appointed mayor.
• 1946 – In October, municipal elections are held to elect the first municipal council of Torregrotta, which in turn elects Giuseppe Saladino as mayor.
• 1952 – In May, administrative elections are held to renew the municipal council, which in its session of 8 June, elects Giuseppe Saladino as mayor for a second time.
• 1955 – The Riposto della Torre is demolished.
• 1956 – In May, municipal elections are held to renew the council. On 10 June, the municipal council elects Giovanni Tripoli as mayor.
• 1960 – In November, municipal elections are held to renew the council, which elects Giovanni Tripoli as mayor for a second time.
• 1964 – On 11 October, struck by a sudden illness, Mayor Giovanni Tripoli dies. On 22 November, administrative elections are held to renew the Municipal Council, which elects Anna Scalia, widow of Mayor Tripoli, as mayor.
• 1967 – In March, the Court of Messina declares Anna Scalia ineligible, and she is removed from office. On 10 April, the municipal council elects Domenico Magliarditi as mayor, who resigns in August. On 20 August, Andrea Nastasi is elected mayor, who resigns on 22 December.
• 1968 – The municipal council is dissolved and the municipality is placed under a commissioner. The council is renewed in the November administrative elections. Domenico Magliarditi is elected mayor.
• 1973 – In November, municipal elections are held. The renewed council elects Domenico Magliarditi as mayor.
• 1974 – On 3 March, Mayor Domenico Magliarditi receives a vote of no confidence from the municipal council, which re-elects him in its session of 8 April. On 26 November, the town planning scheme is approved, the instrument that will govern the urban development of Torregrotta for over 40 years.
• 1976 – On 10 April, the Church of Santa Maria della Scala is inaugurated.
• 1979 – On 3 June, administrative elections are held to renew the Municipal Council, which elects Domenico Magliarditi as mayor.
• 1984 – In June, municipal elections are held to renew the council, which elects Domenico Magliarditi as mayor.
• 1987 – On 23 July, the municipal council approves a motion of no confidence against Mayor Domenico Magliarditi and his administration. On 1 September, the Council elects a new administration with Domenico Magliarditi as mayor.
• 1989 – In May, municipal elections are held to renew the council. Domenico Magliarditi is elected mayor.
• 1990 – On 21 May, Mayor Domenico Magliarditi resigns. On 23 July, the municipal council elects Concetto Trifilò as mayor, who resigns in August. On 30 October, Ennio Cosenza is elected mayor.
• 1991 – In March, Mayor Ennio Cosenza resigns. On 28 March, the council elects Domenico Magliarditi as mayor.
• 1992 – On 10 December, Mayor Domenico Magliarditi resigns, the municipal council is dissolved, and the municipality is placed under a commissioner.
• 1993 – On 21 November, administrative elections are held to renew the mayor and municipal council. After the run-off on 5 December, Angelo Coco is elected mayor, without, however, obtaining a majority in the municipal council.
• 1996 – On 11 August, the first edition of the Torregrotta-Roccavaldina slalom is held. On 15 December, a referendum for the removal of the mayor is held, which does not reach the quorum for validity.
• 1997 – The Vitaliano Brancati nursery school is inaugurated. On 30 November, administrative elections are held to renew the municipal elected bodies. Antonino Caselli is elected mayor.

21st century

• 2000 – On 25 May, the municipal council passes a vote of no confidence against Mayor Antonino Caselli; from 28 June, the municipality is placed under a commissioner. On 26 November, municipal elections are held to renew the mayor and council. Angelo Coco is elected mayor.
• 2001 – On 12 August, the statue of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, created by the artist Giovanni De Pasquale, is inaugurated in Piazza Unità d'Italia.
• 2003 – During the year, the synthetic turf pitch at the "P. Gangemi" municipal stadium is installed, and the "padre Santo Trimarchi" public garden is inaugurated. On 29 December, Mayor Angelo Coco receives a vote of no confidence from the municipal council, and the municipality is placed under a commissioner.
• 2004 – On 12 and 13 June, administrative elections are held to renew the mayor and municipal council. Concetto Trifilò is elected mayor.
• 2005 – On 9 August, Mayor Concetto Trifilò resigns, and the municipality is placed under a commissioner on 16 August.
• 2006 – On 11 June, municipal elections are held to renew the elected bodies. Antonino Caselli is elected Mayor.
• 2009 – On 9 August, the Roccavaldina-Scala-Torregrotta railway station is decommissioned. On 23 November, the Torregrotta railway station is opened to passenger service.
• 2010 – In May, the service centre is inaugurated.
• 2011 – In May, the extension of via Rosario Livatino between piazza Graziella Campagna and via industriale is inaugurated. On 29 and 30 May, administrative elections are held to renew the municipal bodies. Antonino Caselli is reconfirmed as mayor. On 22 November, the city is hit by a flash flood.
• 2013 – In March, a heavy storm causes a portion of the Rosario Livatino seafront to collapse, which is closed to road traffic in November after another storm.
• 2014 – In March, the Rosario Livatino seafront is reopened to vehicular traffic after a safety intervention by the Civil Protection.
• 2015 – In August, the institute of the Daughters of Divine Zeal is closed.
• 2016 – On 5 and 6 June, elections are held to renew the mayor and municipal council. Corrado Ximone is elected mayor.
• 2020 – On 8 January, the Madre Teresa di Calcutta nursery school is reopened after a major renovation. On 16 March, the general regulatory plan, the urban planning tool for the Torregrotta territory, is approved.
• 2021 – On 8 March, the municipal micro-nursery Primi passi is inaugurated. On 10 and 11 October, municipal elections are held to renew the elected bodies. Antonino Caselli is elected mayor.
• 2022 – On 22 January, the school complex comprising the Grazia Deledda nursery school and the Renato Guttuso primary school is inaugurated.
• 2023 – On 26 May, the geodesic dome is inaugurated. Between September and October, celebrations are held for the centenary of municipal autonomy. On 21 October, the mural Ti dedico tutto by artist Andrea Sposari is inaugurated.

See also

• History of Torregrotta
• Torregrotta
• Niceto Valley

Bibliography