Sightseeing in Messina - what to see. Complete travel guide

The history of the City of Messina is cloaked in many fascinating myths and legends. This is a true city of fairytales, an enchanting and mysterious place. According to one of tales, angry Neptune threw his trident into land and separated Sicily, turning it into a lonely island. Later another god, Saturn, was amazed by the beauty of the island and founded a wonderful city in it, giving it the name Zankle. This is one of the most famous myths about the origin of the city, but there are many others.

Today Messina is a major port city, which has had a great strategic importance during all its history. Both military and trade routes are located here. Today you can see many beautiful yachts in the port of the city. Here are organized boat trips and excursions to the most beautiful places of the island. We should also mention that the city is quite small, but, despite this fact, it has many notable places that are definitely worth visiting.

First of all, this refers to ancient cathedrals, temples and churches, which are found throughout Messina. The Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary Most is the most large-scale complex of this place. The church was built in the 12th century on the site of an ancient pagan temple. The central part of the town is the location of Dome Cathedral, which was completed in 1160. This is the oldest church on the island. The only monument referring to the Gothic architecture is the Church of Via Santa Maria Aleman, which has been partially destroyed during military operations. You can also see the fountain of Neptune and the source of the Orion - the monuments, illustrating the stories of myths on the main square of the town. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Messina also has numerous entertaining activities for its visitors. Here you will find shopping arcades and magnificent parks, and, of course, authentic Italian restaurants - a real treasure for gourmet travellers.

There are many cultural centers and museums in the city. The Regional Museum of Messina is located in the building of the old spinning mill. It was founded in 1806. Originally, the museum was located in the large building of the St. George’s Monastery. In 1908, Messina survived a severe earthquake, after which the city literally lay in ruins. The building of the monastery was completely destroyed. The owners of the museum managed to save only a small part of priceless exhibits. Today visitors of the museum can stroll through the premises of the old factory, in which collections of historical artifacts and works of art are presented.

An amazing museum is located within the walls of the Cathedral. The royal treasury is also located here. Four large rooms are allocated for the storage of precious exhibits. One of the most valuable exhibits is a lamp cut from a single piece of rock crystal. It was donated to a royal person more than a thousand years ago. In the treasury, there are many jewelries and relics of gold, as well as unique items of church utensils.

In 2015, the Regional Interdisciplinary Museum was opened in Messina. It was equipped in a former military bunker that was built during the Second World War. The area of ​​this bunker is 900 square meters. In time of war, it could take up to 800 people at a time. The bulk of the museum's exhibits are military artifacts, including samples of old weapons and military uniforms. The museum presents an interesting collection of military awards, old maps and photographs.

Art lovers will be interested in visiting the Cavour Art Gallery, which was opened more than thirty years ago. In addition to the unique paintings by European masters, a collection of interesting photographs is presented in it. Exhibitions of contemporary artists and photographers often take place in the gallery. Guests of Messina can visit this cultural center for free.

At the beginning of the 20th century, because of the earthquake, almost all historical architectural monuments were destroyed in the city, but some of them were restored. An excellent example is the Palace of Zanca. In 1914, its restoration which lasted ten years began. Now the magnificent palace in the Neo-Gothic style occupies a huge area of ​​12,000 square meters. It contains historical artifacts and collections of works of art.