Santa Lucia del Mela is a town in the province of Messina and its existence has been attested since the Norman period; then it developed under Federico II di Svevia and Federico II of Aragon encouraged Lombards to settle here.
The place name derives from the ancient Church of Santa Lucia and the nearby Mela river.
The town is dominated by the castle, now seat both of a Seminary and of the Sanctuary of Madonna della Neve, with a valuable statue by Antonello gagini (1529).
The Cathedral, of Norman origins, was rebuilt between 1590 and 1642: the central portal is of the XVI century while the interior, with a central nave and two aisles, is in Renaissance style and is decorated with numerous sculptures, such as the 15th font, the choir, a statue of Santa Lucia (1512), the paschal-candle (1661) and paintings by Pietro Novelli
In the Palazzo Vescovile there are a 17th c. bas-relief of "Job visited by friends", the "Madonna of Trapani" (a 19th century marble statue), and the Madonna of Crete, a 16th century Byzantine-style panel painting.
In the Oratorio del Rosario it is possible to admire the "Madonna della lettera" by Giuseppe Minutoli (XIX century).
We also mention the Church of Santa Maria del Gesù, the Church of San Nicola and the Church of Annunciazione, in late-medieval style.