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Messina (, also , ) is a harbour city and the
capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...
of the Italian
Metropolitan City of Messina The Metropolitan City of Messina ( it, Città metropolitana di Messina) is a metropolitan city in Sicily, Italy. Its capital is the city of Messina. It replaced the Province of Messina and comprises the city of Messina and other 107 municipalitie ...
. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of more than 219,000 inhabitants in the city proper and about 650,000 in the Metropolitan City. It is located near the northeast corner of Sicily, at the Strait of Messina and it is an important access terminal to
Calabria , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...
region,
Villa San Giovanni Villa San Giovanni is a port city and a municipality in the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria of Calabria, Italy. In 2010 its population was 13,747 with a decrease of 2.5% until 2016 and in 2020 an increase of 3.7% . It is an important termina ...
,
Reggio Calabria Reggio di Calabria ( scn, label= Southern Calabrian, Riggiu; el, label= Calabrian Greek, Ρήγι, Rìji), usually referred to as Reggio Calabria, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, is the largest city in Calabria. It has an estimated popul ...
on the mainland. According to
Eurostat Eurostat ('European Statistical Office'; DG ESTAT) is a Directorate-General of the European Commission located in the Kirchberg, Luxembourg, Kirchberg quarter of Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. Eurostat's main responsibilities are to provide statis ...
the FUA of the metropolitan area of Messina has, in 2014, 277,584 inhabitants. The city's main resources are its seaports (commercial and military shipyards),
cruise A cruise is any travel on a cruise ship. Cruise or Cruises may also refer to: Tourism * Booze cruise * Music cruise * River cruise Aeronautics and aircraft * Cruise (aeronautics), a distinct stage of an aircraft's flight * Aviasouz Cruise, a R ...
tourism, commerce, and agriculture (wine production and cultivating lemons, oranges, mandarin oranges, and olives). The city has been a Roman Catholic Archdiocese and Archimandrite seat since 1548 and is home to a locally important international fair. The city has the
University of Messina The University of Messina ( it, Università degli Studi di Messina; Latin: ''Studiorum Universitas Messanae''), known colloquially as UniME, is a state university located in Messina, Sicily, Italy. Founded in 1548 by Pope Paul III, it was the world ...
, founded in 1548 by Ignatius of Loyola.


History

Founded by Greek colonists in the 8th century BC, Messina was originally called Zancle ( grc-gre, Ζάγκλη), from the Greek meaning " scythe" because of the shape of its natural harbour (though a legend attributes the name to King
Zanclus Zanclus (Ancient Greek: Ζάγκλος Smith, William (1861). ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology''v. 3, page 1309.) is the legendary first king of the Sicilian city of Messina. He is mentioned in an etiological passage by Diod ...
). A '' comune'' of its Metropolitan City, located at the southern entrance of the Strait of Messina, is to this day called 'Scaletta Zanclea'.
Solinus Solinus may refer to: * Gaius Julius Solinus, a 3rd century Latin author * Solinus (horse), a British racehorse (1975–1979) * Solinus, Duke of Ephesus, a character in William Shakespeare's play ''The Comedy of Errors'' See also * Salinas (disam ...
write that the city of Metauros was established by people from the Zancle. In the early 5th century BC,
Anaxilas of Rhegium Anaxilas or Anaxilaus ( grc-gre, Ἀναξίλας, Ἀναξίλαος), son of Cretines, was a tyrant of Rhegium (modern Reggio Calabria). He was originally from Messenia, a region in the Peloponnese. Life Anaxilas was master of Rhegium in 4 ...
renamed it Messene () in honour of the Greek city Messene (See also
List of traditional Greek place names This is a list of Greek place names as they exist in the Greek language. *Places involved in the history of Greek culture, including: **Historic Greek regions, including: ***Ancient Greece, including colonies and contacted peoples ***Hellenistic ...
). Later, Micythus was the ruler of Rhegium and Zancle, and he also founded the city of Pyxus. The city was sacked in 397 BC by the Carthaginians and then reconquered by Dionysius I of Syracuse. In 288 BC the
Mamertines The Mamertines ( la, Mamertini, "sons of Mars", el, Μαμερτῖνοι) were mercenaries of Italian origin who had been hired from their home in Campania by Agathocles (361–289 BC), Tyrant of Syracuse and self-proclaimed King of Sicily. ...
seized the city by treachery, killing all the men and taking the women as their wives. The city became a base from which they ravaged the countryside, leading to a conflict with the expanding regional empire of
Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...
.
Hiero II Hiero II ( el, Ἱέρων Β΄; c. 308 BC – 215 BC) was the Greek tyrant of Syracuse from 275 to 215 BC, and the illegitimate son of a Syracusan noble, Hierocles, who claimed descent from Gelon. He was a former general of Pyrrhus of Epirus a ...
, tyrant of Syracuse, defeated the Mamertines near Mylae on the
Longanus River The Longanus (also Longanos or Loitanus) was a river in north-eastern Sicily on the Mylaean plain. As recorded by Polybius, it was where the Mamertines were drastically defeated by Hiero II of Syracuse in around 269 BC. The small settlement of L ...
and besieged Messina. Carthage assisted the Mamertines because of a long-standing conflict with Syracuse over dominance in Sicily. When Hiero attacked a second time in 264 BC, the Mamertines petitioned the Roman Republic for an alliance, hoping for more reliable protection. Although initially reluctant to assist lest it encourage other mercenary groups to mutiny, Rome was unwilling to see Carthaginian power spread further over Sicily and encroach on Italy. Rome, therefore, entered into an alliance with the Mamertines. In 264 BC, Roman troops were deployed to Sicily, the first time a Roman army acted outside the Italian Peninsula. At the end of the
First Punic War The First Punic War (264–241 BC) was the first of three wars fought between Rome and Carthage, the two main powers of the western Mediterranean in the early 3rd century BC. For 23 years, in the longest continuous conflict and grea ...
it was a free city allied with Rome. In Roman times Messina, then known as Messana, had an important
pharos The Lighthouse of Alexandria, sometimes called the Pharos of Alexandria (; Ancient Greek: ὁ Φάρος τῆς Ἀλεξανδρείας, contemporary Koine ), was a lighthouse built by the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, during the re ...
(lighthouse). Messana was the base of Sextus Pompeius, during his war against Octavian. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the city was successively ruled by Goths from 476, then by the Byzantine Empire in 535, by the Arabs in 842, and in 1061 by the
Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...
brothers
Robert Guiscard Robert Guiscard (; Modern ; – 17 July 1085) was a Norman adventurer remembered for the conquest of southern Italy and Sicily. Robert was born into the Hauteville family in Normandy, went on to become count and then duke of Apulia and Calabri ...
and
Roger Guiscard Roger I ( it, Ruggero I, Arabic: ''رُجار'', ''Rujār''; Maltese: ''Ruġġieru'', – 22 June 1101), nicknamed Roger Bosso and The Great, was a Norman nobleman who became the first Count of Sicily from 1071 to 1101. He was a member of the Ho ...
(later count Roger I of Sicily). In 1189 the English King Richard I (''"The Lionheart"'') stopped at Messina en route to the
Holy Land The Holy Land; Arabic: or is an area roughly located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River, traditionally synonymous both with the biblical Land of Israel and with the region of Palestine. The term "Holy ...
for the Third Crusade and briefly occupied the city after a dispute over the dowry of his sister, who had been married to
William the Good, King of Sicily William II (December 115311 November 1189), called the Good, was king of Sicily from 1166 to 1189. From surviving sources William's character is indistinct. Lacking in military enterprise, secluded and pleasure-loving, he seldom emerged from his ...
. In 1345
Orlando d'Aragona Orlando (or Roland) (1296–1361) was the second-eldest illegitimate son of Frederick III of Sicily, Frederick II of Sicily by his concubine Sibilla di Sormella. During his father's reign, he lived in the shadows, but he rose to influence in the co ...
, the illegitimate son of
Frederick II of Sicily Frederick II of Sicily may refer to: * Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor (1194–1250), who technically was Frederick I of Sicily but the regnal number II was used of him throughout his various realms * Frederick III of Sicily Frederick II (or II ...
was the ''
strategos ''Strategos'', plural ''strategoi'', Linguistic Latinisation, Latinized ''strategus'', ( el, στρατηγός, pl. στρατηγοί; Doric Greek: στραταγός, ''stratagos''; meaning "army leader") is used in Greek language, Greek to ...
'' of Messina. In 1347, Messina was one of the first points of entry for the
black death The Black Death (also known as the Pestilence, the Great Mortality or the Plague) was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Western Eurasia and North Africa from 1346 to 1353. It is the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, causi ...
into Western Europe. Genoese galleys travelling from the infected city of Kaffa carried plague into the Messina ports. Kaffa had been infected via Asian trade routes and siege from infected Mongol armies led by Janibeg; it was a departure point for many Italian merchants who fled the city to Sicily. Contemporary accounts from Messina tell of the arrival of "Death Ships" from the East, which floated to shore with all the passengers on board already dead or dying of plague. Plague-infected rats probably also came aboard these ships. The black death ravaged Messina and rapidly spread northward into mainland Italy from Sicily in the following few months. In 1548 St. Ignatius founded there the first
Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
college in the world, which later gave birth to the ''Studium Generale'' (the current
University of Messina The University of Messina ( it, Università degli Studi di Messina; Latin: ''Studiorum Universitas Messanae''), known colloquially as UniME, is a state university located in Messina, Sicily, Italy. Founded in 1548 by Pope Paul III, it was the world ...
). The Christian ships that won the Battle of Lepanto (1571) left from Messina: the Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes, who took part in the battle, recovered for some time in the ''Grand Hospital''. The city reached the peak of its splendour in the early 17th century, under Spanish domination: at the time it was one of the ten greatest cities in Europe. In 1674 the city rebelled against the foreign garrison. It managed to remain independent for some time, thanks to the help of the French king Louis XIV, but in 1678, with the Peace of Nijmegen, it was reconquered by the Spaniards and sacked: the university, the senate and all the privileges of autonomy it had enjoyed since the Roman times were abolished. A massive fortress was built by the occupants and Messina decayed steadily. In 1743, 48,000 died of a second wave of
plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pes ...
in the city. In 1783, an earthquake devastated much of the city, and it took decades to rebuild and rekindle the cultural life of Messina. In 1847 it was one of the first cities in Italy where Risorgimento riots broke out. In 1848 it rebelled openly against the reigning
Bourbons The House of Bourbon (, also ; ) is a European dynasty of French origin, a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Navarre in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Spanish ...
, but was heavily suppressed again. Only in 1860, after the Battle of Milazzo, the Garibaldine troops occupied the city. One of the main figures of the unification of Italy, Giuseppe Mazzini, was elected
deputy Deputy or depute may refer to: * Steward (office) * Khalifa, an Arabic title that can signify "deputy" * Deputy (legislator), a legislator in many countries and regions, including: ** A member of a Chamber of Deputies, for example in Italy, Spai ...
at Messina in the general elections of 1866. Another earthquake of less intensity damaged the city on 16 November 1894. The city was almost entirely destroyed by an earthquake and associated tsunami on the morning of 28 December 1908, killing about 100,000 people and destroying most of the ancient architecture. The city was largely rebuilt in the following year. However, thousands of residents displaced by the earthquake lived in shanty towns outside the city until the late 1930s, when further reconstruction finally commenced. It incurred further damage from the massive Allied air bombardments of 1943; before and during the Allied invasion of Sicily. Messina, owing to its strategic importance as a transit point for Axis troops and supplies sent to Sicily from mainland Italy, was a prime target for the British and American air forces, which dropped some 6,500 tons of bombs in the span of a few months. These raids destroyed one-third of the city, and caused 854 deaths among the population. The city was awarded a Gold Medal of Military Valor and one for Civil Valor by the Italian government in memory of the event and the subsequent effort of reconstruction. In June 1955, Messina was the location of the Messina Conference of Western European
foreign minister A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...
s which led to the creation of the
European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organization created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisb ...
. The conference was held mainly in Messina's City Hall building ( it), and partly in nearby Taormina. The city is home to a small Greek-speaking minority, which arrived from the
Peloponnese The Peloponnese (), Peloponnesus (; el, Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnēsos,(), or Morea is a peninsula and geographic regions of Greece, geographic region in southern Greece. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmu ...
between 1533 and 1534 when fleeing the expansion of the Ottoman Empire. They were officially recognised in 2012.


Climate

Messina has a subtropical Mediterranean climate with long, hot summers with low diurnal temperature variation with consistent dry weather. In winter, Messina is rather wet and mild. Diurnals remain low and remain averaging above lows even during winter. It is rather rainier than
Reggio Calabria Reggio di Calabria ( scn, label= Southern Calabrian, Riggiu; el, label= Calabrian Greek, Ρήγι, Rìji), usually referred to as Reggio Calabria, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, is the largest city in Calabria. It has an estimated popul ...
on the other side of the Messina Strait, a remarkable climatic difference for such a small distance.


Government


Main sights


Religious architecture

* The cathedral (12th century), containing the remains of the king
Conrad Conrad may refer to: People * Conrad (name) Places United States * Conrad, Illinois, an unincorporated community * Conrad, Indiana, an unincorporated community * Conrad, Iowa, a city * Conrad, Montana, a city * Conrad Glacier, Washington ...
, ruler of Germany and Sicily in the 13th century. The building had to be almost entirely rebuilt in 1919–20, following the devastating 1908 earthquake, and again in 1943, after a fire triggered by Allied bombings. The original
Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...
structure can be recognised in the apsidal area. The façade has three late
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
portals, the central of which probably dates back to the early 15th century. The architrave is decorated with a sculpture of ''Christ Among the Evangelists'' and various representations of men, animals and plants. The tympanum dates back to 1468. The interior is organised in a nave and two equally long aisles divided by files of 28 columns. Some decorative elements belong the original building, although the mosaics in the apse are reconstructions. Tombs of illustrious men besides Conrad IV include those of Archbishops Palmer (died in 1195), Guidotto de Abbiate (14th century) and Antonio La Legname (16th century). Special interest is held by the Chapel of the Sacrament (late 16th century), with scenic decorations and 14th-century mosaics. The
bell tower A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell tower ...
holds the
Messina astronomical clock The astronomical clock of Messina is an astronomical clock constructed by the Ungerer Company of Strasbourg in 1933. It is built into the campanile of Messina Cathedral. The mechanism was designed by Frédéric Klinghammer, with the artistic desi ...
, one of the largest astronomical clocks in the world, built-in 1933 by the Ungerer Company of
Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...
. The belfry's mechanically animated statues, which illustrate events from the civil and religious history of the city every day at noon, are a popular tourist attraction. * The Sanctuary of Santa Maria del Carmelo (near the Courthouse), built-in 1931, contains a 17th-century statue of the Virgin Mary. See also Chiesa del Carmine. * The Sanctuary of Montevergine, where the
incorrupt Incorruptibility is a Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox belief that divine intervention allows some human bodies (specifically saints and beati) to completely or partially avoid the normal process of decomposition after death as a sign of their ...
body of
Saint In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...
Eustochia Smeralda Calafato Eustochia Smeralda Calafato (March 25, 1434 in Messina – January 20, 1485 also in Messina) is a Franciscan Italian saint belonging to the Order of the Poor Clares. She is co-patroness of Messina, which is also the centre of her cultus. Biogra ...
is preserved. * The
Church of the Santissima Annunziata dei Catalani The Church of the Santissima Annunziata dei Catalani ( it, Chiesa della Santissima Annunziata dei Catalani) is a church in Messina, Sicily Italy. It is an example of Norman architecture in Sicily. The church dates from the 12th century, when Sicil ...
(late 12th–13th century). Dating from the late Norman period, it was transformed in the 13th century when the nave was shortened and the façade added. It has a cylindrical apse and a high dome emerging from a high tambour. Noteworthy is the external decoration of the transept and the dome area, with a series of blind arches separated by small columns, clearly reflecting Arabic architectural influences. * The Church of Santa Maria degli Alemanni (early 13th century), which was formerly a chapel of the Teutonic Knights. It is a rare example of pure Gothic architecture in Sicily, as is witnessed by the arched windows and shapely buttresses.


Civil and military architecture

* The Botanical Garden Pietro Castelli of the
University of Messina The University of Messina ( it, Università degli Studi di Messina; Latin: ''Studiorum Universitas Messanae''), known colloquially as UniME, is a state university located in Messina, Sicily, Italy. Founded in 1548 by Pope Paul III, it was the world ...
. * The Palazzo Calapaj-d'Alcontresj, an example of 18th-century Messinese architecture which is one of the few noble palazzi to have survived the 1908 earthquake. * The
Forte del Santissimo Salvatore Forte del Santissimo Salvatore, also known as Castello del Santissimo Salvatore, is a fort in Messina, Sicily. It was built in the mid-16th century, and it is still military property. Some of its walls were demolished after the earthquake of 19 ...
, a 16th-century fort in the
Port of Messina A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ha ...
. * The
Forte Gonzaga Forte Gonzaga, also known as Castel Gonzaga, is a bastioned fort in Messina, Sicily. It was built in the mid-16th century, and it remained in use by the military until 1973. Today, the fort is in good condition. History In the 1540s, the fortifi ...
, a 16th-century fort overlooking Messina. * The Porta Grazia, 17th-century gate of the "
Real Cittadella The Real Cittadella was a fort in Messina, Sicily. The Cittadella was built between 1680 and 1686 by the Spanish Empire, and it was considered to be one of the most important fortifications in the Mediterranean. Most of the fort was demolished in ...
di Messina", by Domenico Biundo and Antonio Amato, a fortress still existing in the harbour. * The Pylon, built in 1957 together with a twin located across the Strait of Messina, to carry a 220 kV overhead power line bringing electric power to the island. At the time of their construction, the two electric
pylons Pylon may refer to: Structures and boundaries * Pylon (architecture), the gateway to the inner part of an Ancient Egyptian temple or Christian cathedral * Pylon, a support tower structure for suspension bridges or highways * Pylon, an orange mar ...
were the highest in the world. The power line has since been replaced by an underwater cable, but the pylon still stands as a freely accessible tourist attraction. * The San Ranieri lighthouse, built in 1555. * The Palazzo della Provincia (Palazzo dei Leoni), provincial Seat, built in 1914 by Alessandro Giunta. * The Palace of Culture, built in 2009.


Monuments

*The Fountain of Orion, a monumental civic sculpture located next to the cathedral, built in 1547 by Giovanni Angelo Montorsoli, student of
Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (; 6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), known as Michelangelo (), was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was insp ...
, with a Neoplatonic-alchemical program. It was considered by art historian Bernard Berenson "the most beautiful fountain of the sixteenth century in Europe". *The Fountain of Neptune, looking towards the harbour, built by Montorsoli in 1557. *The monument to John of Austria, by
Andrea Camalech Andrea is a given name which is common worldwide for both males and females, cognate to Andreas, Andrej and Andrew. Origin of the name The name derives from the Greek word ἀνήρ (''anēr''), genitive ἀνδρός (''andrós''), that ref ...
(1572) *The Senatory Fountain, built in 1619. *The Four Fountains, though only two elements of the four-cornered complex survive today. *
LaFenice ''LaFenice'' (''The Phoenix'') is a public sculpture by the Architecture and Vision design team, Arturo Vittori and Andreas Vogler, sited in the Piazza della Memoria of the waterfront in Messina, Sicily in Italy. The sculpture for this memorial squ ...
, a sculpture on Piazza della Memoria


Museums

* Museo Regionale di Messina (MuMe) hosting notable paintings by
Caravaggio Michelangelo Merisi (Michele Angelo Merigi or Amerighi) da Caravaggio, known as simply Caravaggio (, , ; 29 September 1571 – 18 July 1610), was an Italian painter active in Rome for most of his artistic life. During the final four years of hi ...
, Antonello da Messina,
Alonzo Rodriguez Alonzo Rodriguez (1578 – 22 April 1648), sometimes rendered Alfonso Rodriquez was a painter largely active in Messina. He is thought to have been a follower of Caravaggio. Rodriguez' career was first recorded by Francesco Susinno in his ''L ...
, Mattia Preti *The Galleria d'Arte Contemporanea di Messina, hostings paintings by
Giò Pomodoro Giò Pomodoro (; 17 November 1930 – 21 December 2002) was an Italian sculptor, printmaker, and stage designer. His brother is the sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro. In 1954 he moved to Milan, where he associated with leading avant-garde artists and st ...
, Renato Guttuso,
Lucio Fontana Lucio Fontana (; 19 February 1899 – 7 September 1968) was an Argentine-Italian painter, sculptor and theorist. He is mostly known as the founder of Spatialism. Early life Born in Rosario, to Italian immigrant parents, he was t ...
,
Corrado Cagli Corrado Cagli (1910–1976) was an Italian painter of Jewish heritage, who lived in the United States during World War II. Life Cagli was born in Ancona but he moved with his family to Rome in 1915 at the age of five. In 1927, he made his ar ...
, Giuseppe Migneco,
Max Liebermann Max Liebermann (20 July 1847 – 8 February 1935) was a German painter and printmaker, and one of the leading proponents of Impressionism in Germany and continental Europe. In addition to his activity as an artist, he also assembled an important ...


Public transport


Railways

The new Messina Centrale
station building A station building, also known as a head house, is the main building of a passenger railway station. It is typically used principally to provide services to passengers. A station building is a component of a station, which can include tracks, p ...
was projected following the modern criteria of the futurist architect Angiolo Mazzoni, and is extended through the stations square. It is at almost contiguous with Messina Marittima station, located by the port and constituting a Ferry transport in the Strait of Messina to Villa San Giovanni station across the Strait of Messina. The station is electrified and served by regional trains. For long-distance transport it counts some InterCity and ICN night trains to Rome, linking it also with Milan, Turin,
Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400  ...
, Genoa, Bologna, Florence, and other cities. It is also part of the projected
Berlin–Palermo railway axis The Berlin–Palermo railway axis (german: Eisenbahnachse Berlin–Palermo, it, Asse ferroviario Berlino-Palermo) is project No. 1 of the Trans-European high-speed rail network ( TEN-R), which involves the creation of a high-speed rail line betw ...
. Since 2010, a suburban train service has been carried out along the Messina-Catania-Syracuse railway with routes serving the stations of Fiumara Gazzi, Contesse, Tremestieri, Mili Marina, Galati, Ponte Santo Stefano, Ponte Schiavo, San Paolo and Giampilieri.


Bus and tram

Messina's public bus system is operated by ATM Messina: starting from 8 October 2018, has reorganized the offer of public transport, introducing a bus line (line 1 - Shuttle 100) which with a frequency of approx. 15 minutes, it crosses 38 of the total 50 km of the coast of the City of Messina. Thus, a comb service is created, with interchange stops at which the buses to and from the villages terminate, and with the tram which reaches a frequency of about 20 minutes. About 36 different routes reach every part of the city and also the modern
Messina tramway The Messina tramway ( it, Tranvia di Messina) is a tramway forming part of the public transport system in Messina, a city and ''comune'' in the region of Sicily, Italy. In operation since 2003, the tramway is long, and comprises one line, linkin ...
(at "Repubblica" stop, on station's square), opened in 2003. This line is and links the city's central railway station with the city centre and harbour. The industrial plan provides for the purchase of about 66 buses in the three-year period 2020–2022 to improve the environmental performance and comfort of the fleet. Furthermore, the resources equal to 1.82 million euros, coming from the PON Metro 2014-2020 will allow: *Installation of the AVM system on the vehicles; *Installation of turnstiles on electric buses; *Implementation of the electronic ticketing system; *Installation of electronic poles.


Sports team

* A.C.R. Messina *
S.S.D. Città di Messina Football Club Messina was an Italian football club based in Messina, Sicily, formerly known as ''S.S.D. Città di Messina'' and ''U.S.D. Camaro Messina'', and disbanded in 2021. History Foundation The club is the direct heir of U.S.D. Camaro ...


Notable people

List of notable people from Messina or connected to Messina, listed by career and then in alphabetical order by last name.


Actors

* Adolfo Celi, actor (born 1922) * Tano Cimarosa, actor (born 1922) * Maria Grazia Cucinotta, actress (born 1968) * Nino Frassica, actor (born 1950) *
Massimo Mollica Massimo Mollica (19 March 1929 – 1 May 2013) was an Italian actor and stage director. Born in Pace del Mela, Messina, the son of an elementary school teacher, Mollica started acting at the university.Giancarlo Colombo. ''Who's Who in Ita ...
, actor (born 1929)


Artists and designers

*
Girolamo Alibrandi Girolamo Alibrandi (1470-1524), was an Italian painter, born and active in Sicily, called the ''Raphael of Messina'' (''il Raffaello di Messina''). Biography Alibrandi received his first instruction in the school of the Antonj. The fame which Ant ...
, painter (born in 1470) *
Anna Maria Arduino Anna Maria Arduino (1672–1700) was an Italian regent, socialite, painter and writer. She was the regent of the Principality of Piombino during the minority of her son Prince Niccolò II Ludovisi in 1699–1700. Life She was born in Messina, I ...
(1672 – 1700) 17th century painter, writer and socialite, served as the Princess of
Piombino Piombino is an Italian town and ''comune'' of about 35,000 inhabitants in the province of Livorno (Tuscany). It lies on the border between the Ligurian Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea, in front of Elba Island and at the northern side of Maremma. Ove ...
, from Messina. *
Antonio Barbalonga Antonio Barbalonga or Barbalunga (1600 – 2 November 1649), also called Antonio Alberti, was an Italian painter of the Baroque period. He was a member of the noble family of the Alberti, born at Messina, and was there instructed in paint ...
, painter (17th century) *
Francesco Comande Francesco Comande (16th century) was an Italian painter of a Renaissance style, born and active in Messina, Sicily. He was a pupil of Deodato Guinaccia.Antonello da Messina, major painter of the Renaissance (born 1430) * Giuseppe Migneco, painter (born 1908) *
Giovanni Quagliata Giovanni Quagliata (1603–1673) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period. He is more properly known in Italy as Giovan Battista Quagliata (and Giambattista Quagliata), one of the leading artists of the Messinesi painters of the 17th centu ...
, painter (born 1603) * Filippo Juvarra, Baroque architect (born 1678) *
Mariano Riccio Mariano Riccio (born 1510) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period. He was born at Messina, and painted altarpieces. He was a pupil of Franco, and afterwards of Polidoro da Caravaggio Polidoro Caldara, usually known as Polidoro da ...
, painter (born 1510) *
Alonzo Rodriguez Alonzo Rodriguez (1578 – 22 April 1648), sometimes rendered Alfonso Rodriquez was a painter largely active in Messina. He is thought to have been a follower of Caravaggio. Rodriguez' career was first recorded by Francesco Susinno in his ''L ...
, painter (born 1578) *
Giovanni Tuccari Giovanni Tuccari (1667–1743) was an Italian painter during the Baroque period, active in Sicily. Tuccari was born in Messina. He was the son and pupil of Antonio Tuccari, an obscure painter. He excelled as a battle painter. He died of the ...
, painter (born 1667)


Politicians, civil service, military

*
Giuseppe La Farina Giuseppe La Farina (20 July 1815 in Messina – 5 September 1863 in Torino) was an influential leader of the Italian Risorgimento. He was founder of the Italian National Society in 1857, a society dedicated to the unification of Italy. Life H ...
, leader of the Italian Risorgimento (born 1815) * Gaetano Martino, politician, physician and professor. (born 1900) *
Giuseppe Natoli Giuseppe Natoli Gongora di Scaliti (9 June 1815 – 25 September 1867) was an Italian lawyer and politician from the Mediterranean island of Sicily. He was Minister of Agriculture under Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, in the first government o ...
, lawyer and politician (born 1815) *
Luigi Rizzo Luigi Rizzo, 1st Count of Grado and Premuda (1887–1951), nicknamed ''the Sinker'', was an Italian admiral. He is mostly known for his distinguished service in World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviat ...
, naval officer and First World War hero (born 1887)


Musicians, composers

*
Mario Aspa Mario Aspa (17 October 1797 – 14 December 1868) was an Italian composer. He composed over 40 operas, the most successful of which were ''Paolo e Virginia'' (premiered in Rome, 1843) and ''II Muratore di Napoli'' (premiered in Naples, 1850). He ...
, composer (born 1797) *
Filippo Bonaffino Filippo Bonaffino ( fl. 1623) was an Italian composer. Life and career Filippo Bonaffino is thought to have been born in Messina. In 1623, he published a book of 18 Madrigali concertati for two to four voices with continuo, titled ''Madrigali co ...
(fl. 1623), Italian madrigal composer


Religion

*
Eustochia Smeralda Calafato Eustochia Smeralda Calafato (March 25, 1434 in Messina – January 20, 1485 also in Messina) is a Franciscan Italian saint belonging to the Order of the Poor Clares. She is co-patroness of Messina, which is also the centre of her cultus. Biogra ...
, saint (born 1434) *
Annibale Maria Di Francia Annibale Maria di Francia, or Hannibal Mary di Francia, (July 5, 1851 – June 1, 1927) is a saint venerated by the Catholic Church. He founded a series of orphanages, and the religious congregations of the Rogationist Fathers and the Daught ...
, saint (born 1851)


Sports

*
Tony Cairoli Antonio "Tony" Cairoli (born 23 September 1985) is an Italian professional motocross racer. He has competed in the Motocross World Championships since 2002. Cairoli is notable for winning nine FIM motocross world championships, second only to ten ...
, motocross world champion (born 1985) * Vincenzo Nibali, cyclist (born 1984) *
Antonio Stelitano Antonio Stelitano (born 22 October 1987) is an Italian footballer who plays for Sliema Wanderers in Malta. Career Stelitano started his senior career with A.C.R. Messina. In 2009, he signed for A.S.D. Igea Virtus Barcellona in the Italian Serie C ...
, Italian footballer (born 1987)


Researchers, academics

*
Aristocles of Messene Aristocles of Messene (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοκλῆς ὁ Μεσσήνιος), in Sicily,Suda, ''Aristokles'' was a Peripatetic philosopher, who probably lived in the 1st century AD. He may have been the teacher of Alexander of Aphrodisias. ...
, peripatetic philosopher (1st century AD) * Dicaearchus, Greek philosopher and mathematician (born 350 BC) *
Caio Domenico Gallo Caio Domenico Gallo (28 February 1697 – 20 October 1780), was an Italian historian. Gallo was born and died in Messina, in the north-east of the Mediterranean island of Sicily. His principal work, the ''Annali della città di Messina'', is a ...
, historian (born 1697) *
Francesco Maurolico Francesco Maurolico (Latin: ''Franciscus Maurolycus''; Italian: ''Francesco Maurolico''; gr, Φραγκίσκος Μαυρόλυκος, 16 September 1494 - 21/22 July 1575) was a mathematician and astronomer from Sicily. He made contributions t ...
, astronomer, mathematician and humanist (born 1494) *
Agostino Scilla Agostino Scilla (10 August 1629 – 31 May 1700) was an Italian Baroque painter, paleontologist, geologist, numismatist, and a pioneer in the study of fossils and in scientific illustration. In addition to his paintings, he published an early te ...
, painter, paleontologist, geologist and pioneer in the study of fossils (born 1629) * Giuseppe Seguenza, naturalist and geologist (born 1833) *
Giuseppe Sergi Giuseppe Sergi (March 20, 1841 – October 17, 1936) was an Italian anthropologist of the early twentieth century, best known for his opposition to Nordicism in his books on the racial identity of Mediterranean peoples. He rejected existing racia ...
, anthropologist and psychologist (born 1841) *
Michele Parrinello Michele Parrinello (born 7 September 1945, Messina) is an Italian physicist particularly known for his work in molecular dynamics (the computer simulation of physical movements of atoms and molecules). Parrinello and Roberto Car were awarded the ...
, physicist (born 1945)


Others

*
Stefano D'Arrigo Stefano D'Arrigo (15 October 1919 – 2 May 1992) was an Italian writer. He published three books, the collection of poetry ''Codice Siciliano'' (''The Sicilian Code''), the epic ''Horcynus Orca'' (''Killer Whale'', ) and the novel ''Cima del ...
, writer (born 1919) * Guido delle Colonne, judge and writer (13th century) *
Santi Visalli Santi Visalli is an American photographer and photojournalist who covered the news from social issues to politics to lifestyles to entertainment for over 40 years beginning in the 1960s. Biography Born in Messina, Sicily, Santi Visalli left ...
, American photographer and photojournalist (born 1932)


Literary references

Numerous writers set their works in Messina, including: * Plutarch – ''The Life of Pompey'' (40 BC?) *
Giovanni Boccaccio Giovanni Boccaccio (, , ; 16 June 1313 – 21 December 1375) was an Italian writer, poet, correspondent of Petrarch, and an important Renaissance humanist. Born in the town of Certaldo, he became so well known as a writer that he was somet ...
– ''Decameron'' IV day V novel, ''Lisabetta da Messina'' – IV day IV Novel, ''Gerbino ed Elissa'' (1351) * Matteo Bandello – ''Novelliere'' First Part, novel XXII (1554) * William Shakespeare – '' Much Ado about Nothing'' (1598) and ''
Antony and Cleopatra ''Antony and Cleopatra'' (First Folio title: ''The Tragedie of Anthonie, and Cleopatra'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed, by the King's Men, at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre in around ...
'' (1607) * Molière – ''L'Étourdi ou Les Contre-temps'' (1654) *
Friedrich Schiller Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, and philosopher. During the last seventeen years of his life (1788–1805), Schiller developed a productive, if complicated, friends ...
– ''Die Braut von Messina'' (''The Bride of Messina'', 1803) * Silvio Pellico – ''Eufemio da Messina'' (1818) * Friedrich Nietzsche – ''Idyllen aus Messina'' (''Idylls from Messina'', 1882) *
Giovanni Pascoli Giovanni Placido Agostino Pascoli (; 31 December 1855 – 6 April 1912) was an Italian poet, classical scholar and an emblematic figure of Italian literature in the late nineteenth century. Alongside Gabriele D'Annunzio, he was one of the great ...
– poem ''L'Aquilone'' (1904) * Elio Vittorini – ''Le donne di Messina'' (''Women of Messina'', 1949) and ''Conversazione in Sicilia'' (''Conversations in Sicily'', 1941) *
Stefano D'Arrigo Stefano D'Arrigo (15 October 1919 – 2 May 1992) was an Italian writer. He published three books, the collection of poetry ''Codice Siciliano'' (''The Sicilian Code''), the epic ''Horcynus Orca'' (''Killer Whale'', ) and the novel ''Cima del ...
– ''Horcynus Orca'' (1975) *
Julien Green Julien Green (September 6, 1900 – August 13, 1998) was an American writer who authored several novels (''The Dark Journey'', ''The Closed Garden'', ''Moira'', ''Each Man in His Darkness'', the ''Dixie'' trilogy, etc.), a four-volume autobiog ...
– ''Demain n'existe pas'' (1985)


See also

*
International Rally of Messina International Rally of Messina (in Italian Rally internazionale di Messina) was a former rally competition that was held in Messina, Italy. History The event was held for 26 editions, from 1979 to 2004 and was part of the European Rally Champion ...
*
Messina Centrale railway station Messina Centrale railway station (Italian: ''Stazione di Messina Centrale'' or ''Messina Centrale'') is the main railway station of the Italian city of Messina in Sicily. As Palermo Centrale, Catania Centrale and Syracuse it is one of the most ...
* Messina Grand Prix held between 1959 and 1961 *
Strait of Messina Bridge The Strait of Messina Bridge is a long-planned suspension bridge across the Strait of Messina, that connects the cities of Messina’s Torre Faro and the port city of Villa San Giovanni in Calabria. While the bridge has been proposed since ancie ...
*
Torre Faro Torre Faro is a of the of Messina in the Province of Messina, Sicily, southern Italy. It is a seaside village near the Ganzirri Lake and on its territory it hosts the Pylons of Messina. History From 1959 to 1961 on ''Torre faro Circuit'' t ...
224 metres tall lattice tower * Zanclean Age of the Pliocene Epoch in geology, named for Zancle, ancient Messina *
Messinian The Messinian is in the geologic timescale the last age or uppermost stage of the Miocene. It spans the time between 7.246 ± 0.005 Ma and 5.333 ± 0.005 Ma (million years ago). It follows the Tortonian and is followed by the Zanclean, the first ...
Age of the Miocene Epoch in geology, named for Messina


Notes


Sources


External links

* {{Authority control Coastal towns in Sicily Mediterranean port cities and towns in Italy Municipalities of the Metropolitan City of Messina Cumaean colonies Euboean colonies of Magna Graecia Populated places established in the 8th century BC 8th-century BC establishments in Italy Greek city-states Cities destroyed by earthquakes