The church of Santa Maria della Valle, also called Santa Maria della Scala, is known under the name of “Badiazza,” and was probably built during the 11th century in the Badiazza dried up riverbed of a stream that gives its name to the church. The church, that lies at the feet of the San Rizzo mountains, was recently restored and given back to the citizens and tourists who love to discover historic beauties not too far from the city centre. Nature, history and legend surround the building, raising the charm of its imposing structure. 

According to legend, during the reign of Frederick II, a ship from the East docked in the port of Messina and when the sailors tried to leave the port, they found the ship could not sail. The sailors went to the archbishop and revealed to him that on board there was a guarded holy icon of the Virgin portrayed near a staircase. They decided, together with the archbishop, to heave the image onto a cart hauled by oxen, that, free to run, arrived at the San Rizzo mountains where there was a Benedictine convent. Now the ship could leave the port. Santa Maria della Scala takes its name from the icon of the Virgin.       

The history of the monastic community is unconfirmed. It was founded by Normans at the end of the 11th century or by the Cistercian community founded in the 13th century. The monastery and the original church were enlarged and incorporated together, and the religious site was elevated to the rank of Abbey. In accordance with some historians, the building was abandoned several times and fell into disrepair possibly during the 16th century. Nowadays it is possible to admire only the church, composed by a mixture of different styles. The planimetric scheme is similar to the common scheme of the Sicilian churches of the Norman period. The three naves plan, that allows us to distinguish the sanctuary from the two side chapels, reminds us of the architectural themes of the Palermo and Monreale cathedrals. Even the dome derives from the Norman style, while some decorative elements such as the battlemented towers and the capitals, or the cross-ribbed vault with rectangular section, are put together in Swabian and Aragonese styles. At the back of the Badiazza, it is possible to walk along a path that takes us to the Peloritani mountains.