Tindari and Sanctuary

Departure | Tindari Sanctuary (Me)

The excursion begins with a guided visit to the Sanctuary of the Black Madonna of Tindari — one of Sicily’s most important Marian shrines, featuring a Latin cross floor plan, three naves, and a semicircular apse. Inside stands the wooden statue of the dark Madonna, dating to 750 AD or the Crusades period. The ancient sanctuary, rebuilt after 1544, rises on the remains of an earlier Christian church destroyed by Turkish pirates. The sanctuary sits on the ancient acropolis of Greco-Roman Tyndaris, offering a spectacular view over the Marinello lagoons.

The excursion continues with a visit to the Tindari archaeological area — an ancient Greco-Roman city founded in 397–396 BC as a military fortress. You will be able to explore the Greco-Roman theater, the mosaic-decorated thermal baths, the Cyclopean walls, the monumental propylaea, and Insula IV with its remains of houses, workshops, and storerooms. The visit also includes the Antiquarium — a museum housing local finds such as marble statues, ceramics, and work tools.