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.
1. Messina has a large port where active navigation is carried out even at night. Here, tourists are offered interesting tours of other Sicilian cities, as well as trips to remote beaches. … Open
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.
Although Messina cannot boast an abundance of large malls and markets, shopping enthusiasts will not be bored here. Most of the popular souvenir shops can be found near the central square … Open
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.
Messina is perfect for an active family holiday. The city has numerous beautiful parks and entertainment centers. One of the most unusual is the amusement center Parco Avventura Dei … Open
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.