The coastal city of Messina stretches along the west coast of Sicily. The crescent-shaped headland of San Ranieri surrounds the city's natural harbour and overlooks the strait named after it, the Strait of Messina.
Messina stretches over 30 kilometres along the coast to Capo Peloro. The municipal area reaches an altitude of 1,300 metres at Monte Dinnamare.
Ancient Zankle, also known as the gateway to Sicily, was ruled by various peoples and destroyed by two earthquakes. The last of these earthquakes in 1908 razed the city to the ground.
The bombing raids of the Second World War were followed by a magnificent reconstruction.
Pictures from a short tour
The Church of Santissima Annunziata dei Catalani is an important example of Sicilian-Norman architecture with Byzantine and Arabic influences.
It is one of the few buildings that survived the catastrophic earthquake of 1908 in Messina.
The church was built between 1150 and 1200.
Behind it, you can see a huge cruise ship in the harbour.
The statue of Don Juan de Austria (Italian: Don Giovanni d'Austria) stands in Piazza Catalani.
It commemorates the victory of the Christian Holy League over the Ottoman fleet in the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.
Don Juan de Austria was the commander-in-chief of the victorious fleet.
A copy of the statue stands in Zieroldsplatz in Regensburg, the birthplace of Don Juan.
Messina Cathedral (Cattedrale di Maria Santissima Assunta) with its adjoining astronomical clock tower.
The cathedral is the main church in the city of Messina and was originally built in the 12th century.
The clock tower houses the largest astronomical clock in the world. Every day at noon, a mechanical spectacle takes place in which the figures on the clock are set in motion.
This is the Tempio Votivo di Cristo Re (Church and War Memorial of Christ the King).
The church was built on the site of the ancient acropolis and a Norman castle.
The crypt houses the remains of 1,288 soldiers who fell in the world wars.
The location offers a spectacular panoramic view of the harbour and the city of Messina.
