233km (145 miles) E of Palermo, 683km (424 miles) SE of Rome, 469km (291 miles) S of Naples
Overlooking the Straits of Messina, with the mainland city of Reggio di Calabria across the sea and to the east, Messina lies at the foot of the Peloritani Mountains. Only 5km (3 miles) separate the city of Messina from the Italian mainland. For most passengers arriving from the mainland, the tacky industrial and port city of Messina is their gateway to Sicily -- a shame, really. But since you're here, what the hell? You might as well enjoy what Messina has to offer -- and it does have some treasures if you're willing to seek them out.
Sicily's third-most populous city wasn't always this dismal. Mother Nature did a better job with Messina than mankind did. However, earthquakes and warplanes have done their damage. Because it has had to be rebuilt over and over, Messina is the most modern city on the island.
Messina was founded in the 8th century B.C. by the Siculans, who named it Zancle (sickle) because of its hooked promontory protecting the harbor. The Greeks from Cumae and Chalcis occupied the site in the 5th century. It fell to the dreaded Anaxilas, tyrant of Reggio, who changed the town's name to Messána to honor his native Messenia in the Peloponnesus.
By the 3rd century B.C., Messina had come under Roman influence. Messina's fame in the Middle Ages rested on its position as a launching pad for many of the Crusades. It was a flourishing city until the 17th century, when it lost trading privileges as punishment for protesting against the Spanish viceroys.
Messina boasts one of the deepest and safest harbors in the Mediterranean. With a population of some 275,000, Messina also is one of southern Italy's most bustling cities. Rebuilt after devastation by the 1908 earthquake and the 1943 Allied bombings, it is a city of wide boulevards and low buildings. The structures hug the earth to prevent more danger in the event of another earthquake.
The long-delayed development in Messina was announced in 2002: the Straits of Messina bridge project, which will link the city with mainland Italy. Construction began in late 2005 but was discontinued for 3 years. It may start again sometime in 2009. The project has been a mess since its inception. Check out www.strettodimessina.it for updates, drawings, and even computer simulations of the new bridge.
