The Remains of the First Ancient Greek Colony in Sicily: Naxos, March 2005

Giardini Naxos, 50 kilometres from Messina, is the most ancient of Sicilian Greek colonies. Founded by Chalcidians in 734 BC, who successively expanded into other areas of Sicily, today it is a renowned tourism resort. It played an important role in the war between Athens and Siracusa, supporting the former and, for this, eventually destroyed by Dionysius I in 403 BC. The museum of the city displays innumerable relics that have been excavated in its territory. Worth-seeing are the Chalcidian Shrine dating from the 7th century BC, the remains of two temples, notably that dedicated to Aphrodite dated between the 7th and the 5th century, remnants of kilns from the 4th-5th century attesting to the Byzantine presence at the area. The Archaeological Park is home to relics of an early settlement with an impressive road-system. A 5th century urban settlement is also enclosed, retaining relics of quadrangualar houses.

Text from: www.sicilyweb.com/english/articles/archaeological sites.htm