Unfortunately it is not possible to say that Messina is a touristic landmark in Sicily, overshadowed by the beauty of the other capital cities of the island and by the disastrous wake left by the earthquake in the historic district of the city.
Without going too far, on December 28th in 1908, 80,000 citizens of Messina died in a disastrous earthquake and in the subsequent tsunami, which destroyed the city and forced the rebuilding. Later, in the World War II allied bombings, most of the buildings were seriously damaged. Probably the city is better known for its strait and the “missing” bridge, about which people has often spoken. Although this, never anyone has seen the realization. Among other things, the last project approved a few years ago was recently blocked.
The Harbour of Messina
If you are planning to stop in Messina you have to visit the cathedral and its magnificent bell tower, or the Regional Museum. Among its many paintings, it houses the altarpiece of St. Gregory, the famous work by Antonello from Messina – the most important painter of the Sicilian Renaissance artistic movement -, and two paintings by Caravaggio, commissioned by the city in 1609.
Beyond the places or monuments, Messina is also a particular feature of Sicily, which would not be the same without it.
