IMG_1943 - Until 1918 this and other gates locked Savoca up at night.
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IMG_1945 - A caper plant. The capers that we eat are the unopened flower buds.
IMG_1946
IMG_1947 - Sicily was under Muslim rule from 902 to 1061.
IMG_1949
IMG_1951 - Recently, Mt Etna has been emitting smoke and gasses, not just steam, since it erupted on Jan. 23, 2017.
IMG_1952 - Savoca and the ever-present Mt Etna. The rich soil for agriculture outweighs any distant thoughts of danger.
IMG_1954 - ~ 2400 years ago Phoenicians founded a commercial colony there, "Phoenix", to control Mediterranean trade.
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IMG_1957 - Chiesa di San Nicoḷ, or Santa Lucia, Savoca.
IMG_1958 - The silk industry made this a prosperous, elite area. In the 15th century, 4000 people lived here, now, 200.