Explorations of a harbor city where Sicily and mainland Italy meet.
Messina is an ancient city founded by the Ancient Greeks back in the 8th century BCE, then known as Zancle. The Romans gave the city the name of Messina. The city is at one of the most strategic positions in the Mediterranean. This lead to the city being conquered by other empires and bombed during WWII by the Allies. Much of the city had already been damaged by the 1908 earthquake. Today, Messina is a combination of modern buildings and restored older buildings.
Jana Irving Sant’Antonio, is one of those modern buildings built after the earthquake.
Jana Irving It’s gorgeous, though.
Jana Irving Santa Maria dello Spirito Santo. This was my favorite random church with doors open that I walked into in Messina.
Jana Irving I think this church was rebuilt after the earthquake, but it’s hard to find information about it.
Jana Irving Absolutely gorgeous, whether it was rebuilt or not.
Jana Irving Santa Maria del Carmine, an interesting church from the 1930s. It looks like it was built in the 18th century, but there is just something off about it. I can’t put my finger on it.
Jana Irving Interesting color palette inside as well.
Jana Irving Love the color of this building.
Jana Irving A modern building trying to look Tuscan? It has a much more Northern Italian vibe than Sicilian.
Jana Irving Messina’s gorgeous rebuilt Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. The earthquake of 1908 basically destroyed the church. The tower hosts the largest astronomical clock in the world.
Jana Irving There is also a pretty fountain in the Piazza del Duomo.
Jana Irving Gorgeous entryway.
Jana Irving The cathedral was first built during the Norman period in 1197. The restoration brings out that era.
Jana Irving The wonderful ceiling was rebuilt after the earthquake and it had to be rebuilt again after WWII bombing almost destroyed the church.
Jana Irving This marble sculpture/chapel section had to be also rebuilt after WWII.
Jana Irving I’m glad the reconstruction preserved the Norman fashion of using mosaics in the apses of their churches.
Jana Irving Gorgeous chapel.
Jana Irving The altar area is also well done. The back of the apse’s wall survived the 1908 earthquake.
Jana Irving Behind the cathedral is another gorgeous medieval church, Santissima Annunziata dei Catalani. It was probably built on the ruins of a Greek and Roman temple to Poseidon.
Jana Irving I wish I could have gotten inside.
Jana Irving The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele III, an early shopping mall.
Jana Irving These were popular around Italy early in the 20th century. They all have two intersecting halls with a fantastic dome in the middle.
Jana Irving Fontana Falconieri. The fountain sits at the base of a very long staircase to a great view of Messina. You can see the stairs behind the fountain.
Jana Irving Like I said, a great view. The church on the left is Tempio di Cristo Re. I head there next.
Jana Irving The cathedral and its belltower. Past the water is the mainland of Italy.
Jana Irving Stele della Madonna della Lettera is at the mouth of the harbor. I had planned to get a bit closer but the weather turned gross later in the day.
Jana Irving The last three photos were taken in front of Santa Maria di Montalto. I’m now standing near Cristo Re.
Jana Irving Cristo Re, a church and shrine, built on the ruins of a castle.
Jana Irving There’s that gross storm coming.
Jana Irving On the bottom floor of Cristo Re is the final resting place of many Italian soldiers.
Jana Irving About 1300 soldiers remains are entombed in the church from WWI and WWII.
After Cristo Re, I grabbed some Italian fast food and headed to the Regional Museum of Messina. Nice museum, once all the restoration work is done. I had planned to walk back along the water, but the weather changed my mind.
Check out my next update where I visit the tiny town of Scilla!
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Start at the beginning of this adventure.
