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Messina

Underrated Messina sits on a curved harbour at the northernmost point of Sicily's Ionian Coast, a few kilometres from the Italian mainland. A major transport hub for centuries, it remains an important gateway to and from the island.

While a devastating earthquake in 1908 razed many of Messina's historic monuments, it allowed the city to re-emerge with a distinctly Belle Époque air. Wide boulevards and lower-rise, turn-of-the-century buildings exude a sense of space and calm missing from other major Sicilian cities. And though the city's cultural cachet doesn't quite match that of its more coveted rivals, it does claim one of Sicily's finest cathedrals and an outstanding regional museum, not to mention swordfish and granita celebrated by connoisseurs across the island.

Explore Messina

  • M
    Museo Regionale Interdisciplinare

    Messina's redeveloped regional museum is one of Sicily's lesser-known highlights, with an extensive collection of fascinating art and archaeology. Its…

  • P
    Piazza del Duomo

    Piazza del Duomo is home to Messina's cathedral and its curious campanile (bell tower). Soaring 60m into the sky, the tower incorporates an astronomical…

  • D
    Duomo di Messina

    Messina's one great sight is the Norman Duomo (or at least a faithful replica of it). One of Sicily's finest cathedrals, its treasures include an…

  • F
    Fontana del Nettuno

    Located where Via Garibaldi spills into Piazza dell'Unità d'Italia, the 16th-century Fontana del Nettuno (Neptune's Fountain) is one of Messina's great…

  • F
    Fontana di Orione

    The pale marble Fontana di Orione (1553) depicts a lounging Orion, the mythical founder of Messina. The fountain was constructed by Giovanni Angelo…

  • M
    Madonna della Lettera

    Guarding Messina's harbour is the soaring golden statue of the Madonna della Lettera. A good spot to admire it and the harbour is from the seafront…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Messina.

  • See

    Museo Regionale Interdisciplinare

    Messina's redeveloped regional museum is one of Sicily's lesser-known highlights, with an extensive collection of fascinating art and archaeology. Its…

  • See

    Piazza del Duomo

    Piazza del Duomo is home to Messina's cathedral and its curious campanile (bell tower). Soaring 60m into the sky, the tower incorporates an astronomical…

  • See

    Duomo di Messina

    Messina's one great sight is the Norman Duomo (or at least a faithful replica of it). One of Sicily's finest cathedrals, its treasures include an…

  • See

    Fontana del Nettuno

    Located where Via Garibaldi spills into Piazza dell'Unità d'Italia, the 16th-century Fontana del Nettuno (Neptune's Fountain) is one of Messina's great…

  • See

    Fontana di Orione

    The pale marble Fontana di Orione (1553) depicts a lounging Orion, the mythical founder of Messina. The fountain was constructed by Giovanni Angelo…

  • See

    Madonna della Lettera

    Guarding Messina's harbour is the soaring golden statue of the Madonna della Lettera. A good spot to admire it and the harbour is from the seafront…

Guidebooks

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