Third largest city in Sicily and chief town of the homonymous province, Messina is situated near the northeastern corner of the island at the Strait of Messina that separate Sicily from the mainland.
Interesting sights are the 12th century Cathedral containing the remains of Conrad, King of Germany and Sicily in the 13th century, Palazzo Calapaj near the Duomo, an example of 18th century Messinese architecture which survived to the 1908 earthquake, the San Ranieri Lighthouse also knows as Tower dating back to 1555 and the 16th century fountains by Giovanni Angelo Montorsoli, the Fountain of Orion and the Fountain of Neptune. Other Churches worthy of note are the Annunziata dei Catalani dating from the late Norman period (late 12th century) for the external decoration of the transept and the dome area with a series of blind arches separated by small columns, and Santa Maria degli Alemanni (probably from the early 13th century), which belonged to the Knights of Malta.
A few kilometres from Messina are a series of seaside resorts with beautiful beaches with views over the Strait, the most popular are Lido di Mortelle, Lido del Tirreno and Lido Spiaggia d’Oro.
The Peloritani Mountain Range that surround Messina offer fantastic views over the coast and make a fantastic excursion for the nature lovers with good trekking routes.