Founded in 1997, the Archaeological Park preserves the ruins of the ancient village of Occhiolà, destroyed by the earthquake of 1693 that struck the whole of eastern Sicily.
The surviving inhabitants were moved by Don Carlo Carafa, lord of these lands, to his fief of “Gran Michele”, giving life to the new town, which is about 2 kilometres from the original one.
The area covers about 130 hectares, with an archaeological stratigraphy that goes from Prehistory to 1693.
The area has produced significant discoveries that provide evidence of the different populations that have inhabited it over the centuries.
These include burial objects from the necropolis, votive statuettes from the sanctuaries, and residential structures dating back to the 5th century B.C. of the presumed city of “Eketla”, which was destroyed by the Romans.
Furthermore, there are the evocative remains of the town of Occhiolà.
The Archaeological Park is divided into different itineraries (which can also be used by people with disabilities) that integrate all the archaeological, historical, environmental and landscape values.
