Messina (sicily)

Sea cruises on the Mediterranean Sea with a stop in Messina are quite popular with travelers fr om different countries who want to visit Sicily. The mysterious city is located on the western shore of the Strait of Messina, which separates the island from the Calabria region of mainland Italy. Messina's residential quarters literally covered the Sicilian coast of the strait - the very one that in ancient times was monitored by the monstrous Scylla and Charybdis, destroying sailors sailing by. Unfortunately, the history of Messina is divided into events before and after 1908. It was then that a terrible earthquake hit the city, literally wiping the city from the face of the Earth. But, nevertheless, in Messina there is something to see: the city is rich in both man-made sights and natural beauties. Going on a sea cruise, be sure to visit this cruise port.

Messina was founded by the ancient Greeks in the 7th century BC. During its existence, the city survived two strong earthquakes, epidemics of terrible diseases and many wars. In addition, Messina suffered greatly during the Second World War.

One of Messina's main attractions is the church of Santa Maria Annunziata dei Catalani, built in the 12th century on the ruins of an ancient temple. You can not ignore the Dome Cathedral in 1160, which was built in the Norman style. There are a lot of fountains in Messina - this is the highlight of the city. The most famous of them is called the Fountain of Orion - the founder of the city and the son of Neptune. It was executed in the 16th century by one Montorsoli, who was a pupil of Michelangelo. Another interesting fountain, made by the same master, Neptune Fountain (1557). Mandatory to visit the Regional Museum of Messina, wh ere you can see an excellent collection of paintings, among the paintings of which are the masterpieces of Caravaggio and Antonello da Messina. The Archaeological Museum of the Aeolian Islands contains an extensive collection of island artifacts - from prehistoric times to the Baroque era. In the highest part of the city is the monastery of San Gregorio with a sharp bell tower - from its terrace you will have a gorgeous view of the sea and the surrounding area.

For Russians, it will be interesting to visit the “Monument to Russian Sailors”. The bronze sculpture represents the figures of two sailors rescuing people from under the rubble. On the memorial tablet there are inscriptions about the events of 1908 in Russian and Italian.

The beaches are located at some distance from the city. The nearest Mortelle beach is 13 km away. If you go south of Messina, then closer to the resort of Taormina you will find a huge number of very clean beaches.

The cruise port of Messina is located in the city center, which is very convenient for travelers on sea cruises. There is no special cruise pier, cruise liners are moored along the long promenade. In addition to cruise liners, you can get to Messina in two ways: by plane to one of the airports in Sicily, then by bus or train to Messina. All airports in Sicily are at a decent distance from Messina. The second option is a ferry from the mainland to the port of Messina. For example, you can first get to Naples, buy a ticket for the Naples - Messina train. The whole journey will take about 6 hours.

Headquarters of the port of Messina:

Address: Messina Cruise Port, Messina - Italia

Tel .: + (39) 090-45830, + (39) 090-344-444