Nestled in the Ionian area of the province ofMessina, an ancient fishing village that has become one of the most popular summer rivieras in the whole of Sicily, the Municipality ofSaint Teresa of Riva it is a triumph of beauty, cleanliness and care.
Nestled a stone's throw from the sea, with its white beaches that extend for over 3 kilometers of soft sand, the municipality of Santa Teresa di Riva was an "extraordinary" and unexpected stop on my "Sicily in 500" tour.
The adventure began along the A18, the motorway that connects the cities of Messina and Catania. It was Sunday morning and the sun was about to peek out from the east when, aboard a pearl-colored Cinquecento, I took the exit ofRoccalumeraand I set off, fumbling between doubles and gears, towards the seafront. Santa Teresa di Riva immediately welcomed me, showing me her coast, of an almost violent beauty. I was so entranced by that view that, for a moment, I thought I was still dreaming.
Driving along State Road 114, I stopped several times to admire the particular onessteel structures which dot the seafront and which bear the signature of the artist Nino Ucchino at the bottom. That very bright material attracted the sun's rays, then reflecting them on everything in the surrounding area, helping to make that already magical atmosphere even more surreal.
After breathing in a little salt and reinvigorating my lungs, I got back into the toy car and entered the splendidVilla Ragno, in that characteristic garden that, at first glance, gives you the impression of having ended up directly in one of the Miami Beach locations.
It is here that I met the one who would act as my Cicero for the entire stage, theMayor Danilo Lo Giudice. "Santa Teresa is a jewel that we all care about” he immediately explained to me, as if he were talking about a beloved daughter.
With the Mayor Danilo Lo Giudice
Walking along the seafront I had the opportunity to discover the history of this old fishing village which has now become theNatural Shopping Centermost important of the entire Ionian Riviera. The Mayor explained to me how Santa Teresa di Riva has, for the second year in a row, received the recognition of "Blue Flag".
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For me it was enough to take a look at the beach, at those 42 ecological islands for separate waste collection, at the shower points, at the chemical toilets for disabled people, at the job chairs, at the continuous assistance to bathers to understand how much that award was deserved.
The Blue Flag dominates the Town Hall of Santa Teresa di Riva
While I was walking and blissfully enjoying the view of the Capo di Sant'Alessio Siculo that stood out on the horizon, I also realized how much this Municipality issuitable for children and… athletes! Just think that, to meet the needs of fitter inhabitants and tourists, a real "fitness area” where everyone can feel free to train between one dive and another.
Blue and green dominate in this land that from today onwards I will carry forever imprinted in my memory. Blue, like the deserved flag that dominates the parapet of thecity Halland which is there to remember the pride of citizens, institutions, all of Messina. Green, like thosewell-kept and clean spaces which dot the entire country, almost as if they were natural oases in the sea.
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I left Santa Teresa di Riva saying goodbye to her with respect, thanking her from the bottom of my heart for showing me a beautiful, healthy and clean part of my already wonderful island.
