Castello e necropoli di Ossena

The archaeological site of Ossena (also transcribed Oxina, Oxena, Ossini, Oscini, Essina) falls within the territory of the municipality of Lentini (SR), near the stream of the same name - hence the name of the district (from the Byzantine Greek "oxina", ie "Snake, water snake") - natural border between the territories of Militello in Val di Catania (CT), Francofonte (SR) and Lentini (SR). In the area, of great naturalistic and archaeological interest, there are important testimonies of ancient human settlements, from which come some artifacts now exposed to the Archaeological Museum "Paolo Orsi" of Syracuse. The area is characterized by a vast necropolis from the Bronze Age (Castelluccio culture, with pilasters and false pillars) and iron (referring to a Sicilian-Greek center); the ruins of a Norman castle; a rock church with Byzantine frescoes; the ruins of a medieval village. A fortified outpost on the western side of the Leontinoi countryside in the Greek age, it survives as a rural center still in Roman and Byzantine times. Settlement of some importance in the Arab age, it appears among the main hamlets of the diocese of Syracuse in the Norman period (XII century). It gradually declined during the second phase of the War of the Vespers (XIV century), until it was completely depopulated for the benefit of the neighboring villages of Militello, Francofonte and Scordia. The area is particularly suitable for excursions of naturalistic and archaeological interest, in a landscape of great beauty (medium difficulty).