# San Teodoro > Italian comune in Sicily **Wikidata**: [Q498311](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q498311) **Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Teodoro,_Sicily) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/san-teodoro-q498311 ## Summary San Teodoro is an Italian comune (municipality) located in the Metropolitan City of Messina, Sicily, Italy. It is a small mountainous town situated at coordinates 37.84594°N, 14.70201°E, with a population of approximately 1,238 to 1,360 residents. The comune is part of the administrative structure of the Province of Messina, which was reorganized into the Metropolitan City of Messina on August 4, 2015. ## Key Facts - **Official Name:** San Teodoro - **Alias:** U Casali - **Country:** Italy - **Region:** Sicily - **Administrative Status:** Comune (municipal division of Italy) - **Metropolitan City:** Metropolitan City of Messina (established August 4, 2015) - **Previous Province:** Province of Messina - **Population:** 1,360 (earlier count), 1,238 (later count) - **Coordinates:** Latitude 37.84594° N, Longitude 14.70201° E - **Website:** http://www.comune.santeodoro.me.it/comunesteodoro.html - **Wikipedia Title:** San Teodoro, Sicily - **Wikidata Description:** Italian comune in Sicily - **Sitelink Count:** 49 ## FAQs **What type of administrative area is San Teodoro?** San Teodoro is an Italian comune, which is the smallest administrative division in Italy, equivalent to a municipality or town. It operates under the administrative framework of the Metropolitan City of Messina in the region of Sicily. **Where is San Teodoro located geographically?** San Teodoro is situated in the northeastern part of Sicily, Italy, at coordinates 37.84594° north latitude and 14.70201° east longitude. It lies within the Metropolitan City of Messina. **What is the population of San Teodoro?** San Teodoro has a population of approximately 1,238 to 1,360 residents, making it a small mountainous comune in the Sicilian interior. **What is the administrative history of San Teodoro's region?** San Teodoro belongs to the Metropolitan City of Messina, which was established on August 4, 2015, replacing the former Province of Messina. The comune maintains its status as a municipal division within Italy's administrative structure. **What is the official website of San Teodoro?** The official website of San Teodoro is http://www.comune.santeodoro.me.it/comunesteodoro.html, providing municipal information for residents and visitors. ## Why It Matters San Teodoro represents the characteristic small mountain comuni that form the backbone of Sicily's interior regions. While not a major urban center, it embodies the traditional Sicilian municipal structure that has governed local affairs since the unification of Italy. The comune's existence within the Metropolitan City of Messina connects it to a broader regional administrative framework that manages services, planning, and governance for the eastern Sicilian territory. The transformation from Province to Metropolitan City in 2015 reflects Italy's administrative modernization efforts, and San Teodoro's inclusion in this structure demonstrates its continued relevance within Sicily's governance system. For understanding Italian local government, Sicilian geography, and the administrative divisions of southern Italy, San Teodoro serves as a representative example of a small but historically significant comune. ## Notable For - **Mountain Location:** Situated in the Sicilian interior at an elevated position (37.84594°N, 14.70201°E), representing the mountainous communities of the Messina area - **Traditional Comune Structure:** Maintains the classic Italian comune administrative format that dates back to the unification of Italy - **Metropolitan City Integration:** Part of the Metropolitan City of Messina, one of Italy's newer administrative units established in 2015 - **Sicilian Cultural Preservation:** Represents the smaller communities that preserve traditional Sicilian culture and local governance ## Body ### Geography and Location San Teodoro is located in the interior of Sicily, positioned at coordinates 37.84594° north latitude and 14.70201° east longitude. The comune sits within the mountainous terrain characteristic of the northeastern Sicilian landscape, away from the coastal areas that define much of the island's geography. This interior location places San Teodoro within the administrative jurisdiction of the Metropolitan City of Messina, which encompasses both coastal and inland areas of eastern Sicily. ### Administrative Structure San Teodoro functions as an Italian comune, which serves as the fundamental unit of local government in Italy. The comune system dates back to the unification of Italy in 1861 and represents the smallest administrative division with autonomous governance powers. San Teodoro operates under the administrative framework of the Metropolitan City of Messina, a metropolitan city that replaced the Province of Messina on August 4, 2015, as part of Italy's regional administrative reforms. The Metropolitan City of Messina represents a newer form of administrative organization in Italy, designed to provide more efficient governance for urban areas and their surrounding territories. This transformation from provincial to metropolitan status reflects broader trends in Italian public administration aimed at modernizing local governance structures. ### Demographics and Population The population of San Teodoro is recorded at approximately 1,238 to 1,360 residents, depending on the census year. This population size is consistent with the small mountainous comuni that characterize Sicily's interior regions, where population densities are significantly lower than in coastal areas. The relatively small population reflects the commune's rural character and its position in the Sicilian interior, away from the larger urban centers that drive population growth in the region. ### Historical Context As part of the Kingdom of Italy (proclaimed March 17, 1861) and subsequently the Italian Republic (established June 18, 1946), San Teodoro has existed within Italy's modern administrative framework since national unification. The comune system in Sicily, including San Teodoro, was established during the administrative reorganization that followed the unification, replacing the previous feudal and municipal structures that had governed the island under the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. The transformation of the Province of Messina into the Metropolitan City of Messina on August 4, 2015, represents the most significant recent administrative change affecting San Teodoro. This change brought the comune under a new administrative structure that emphasizes metropolitan governance while maintaining local municipal autonomy. ### Regional Context San Teodoro is situated within the broader context of the Province/Metropolitan City of Messina, one of the nine provinces of Sicily. The Messina area is characterized by its mountainous terrain, coastal settlements, and strategic position connecting mainland Italy to Sicily via the Strait of Messina. The Metropolitan City of Messina encompasses both the city of Messina and its surrounding territories, including numerous small comuni like San Teodoro that contribute to the region's overall administrative and cultural identity. The comune is part of Italy's broader administrative structure, which includes 20 regions, with Sicily being one of the five special autonomous regions. This regional autonomy grants Sicily significant self-governance powers, including legislative authority in certain policy areas, which affects how comuni like San Teodoro operate within the national framework. ### Local Governance As an Italian comune, San Teodoro maintains local governance powers including urban planning, local taxation, civil registration, and the administration of local services. The municipal government operates under the framework established by the Constitution of Italy and is subject to regional legislation from the Sicilian Regional Assembly. The comune's website (http://www.comune.santeodoro.me.it/comunesteodoro.html) provides information about local government services, administrative procedures, and community information for residents and visitors. ### Cultural and Social Identity San Teodoro represents the traditional Sicilian mountain community, characterized by its rural lifestyle, local traditions, and connection to the agricultural heritage of the Sicilian interior. The comune's small population size and interior location distinguish it from the more well-known coastal tourist destinations in Sicily, offering instead an authentic glimpse into traditional Sicilian provincial life. The use of the alias "U Casali" suggests local cultural traditions and potentially dialectal naming conventions that distinguish the comune's local identity from its official Italian name. This dual naming reflects the interplay between official administrative designations and local cultural expressions that characterize many Italian comuni, particularly in regions like Sicily with strong local traditions. ## References 1. OpenStreetMap 2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013 3. [Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018. Italian National Institute of Statistics](http://demo.istat.it/pop2018/index3.html) 4. [Source](https://demo.istat.it/?l=it) 5. GeoNames 6. [Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011. Italian National Institute of Statistics](https://www.istat.it/it/archivio/156224) 7. Wiki Loves Monuments Italia 8. Seismic classification in Italy 9. [Source](https://rischi.protezionecivile.gov.it/it/sismico/attivita/classificazione-sismica)