Messina: Cathedral, Lagoon and Sicilian Culture

Messina combines cathedral history, lagoon landscapes, festivals, active pursuits and Messinese cuisine to create a varied city experience.

Cathedral, Museums and Historic Testimonies

Construction of Messina Cathedral began between 1130 and 1154 under the rule of Roger II; it was consecrated in 1197. The cathedral has a Norman crypt with 17th-century frescoes. Its bell tower is 60 metres high; the mechanical figures move every day at 12 noon.

In the cathedral’s southern atrium, the Museo Tesoro del Duomo di Messina displays around 400 works from the 10th to the 20th century. The collection represents the creative work of Messinese goldsmiths and silversmiths and bears witness to the city’s veneration of its patron saint, Madonna della Lettera. The Museo Regionale Maria Accascina is located on the site of the former Basilian monastery of San Salvatore dei Greci; its ruins and underground crypt are still visible. The museum also displays significant works by Antonello da Messina and Caravaggio.

The monumental portal on Via Giacomo Venezian is the surviving part of the Jesuit college that Pope Paul III founded in Messina by papal bull on 16 November 1548. The Jesuit college is considered the city’s first university and the world’s first Jesuit college. After the 1908 earthquake, the complex was rebuilt according to plans by Giuseppe Botto and inaugurated in 1922. A fountain was commissioned by the Senate of Messina from the sculptor Giovan Angelo Montorsoli and completed in 1553.

Festivals with Historical Significance

The Vara takes place in Messina every year on 15 August; the votive structure is 13.50 metres high and weighs around 8 tonnes. The historic arrival of Don John of Austria is reenacted annually in the port of Messina; the training ship Palinuro represents Don John of Austria’s galley.

Lagoon, Coastal Basin and Nature Observation

The Riserva Naturale Laguna di Capo Peloro is a 68.12-hectare oriented nature reserve in the municipality of Messina. More than 400 aquatic species live there. Along the migratory route across the Strait of Messina, the area serves as a resting place for migratory birds; more than 160 bird species have been recorded there to date.

Lago Ganzirri is a rare meromictic coastal basin within the dune system of Capo Peloro. The area around Messina is also home to the Sentiero dell’ABC, an easily walkable 2.5-kilometre footpath with a walking time of around 2 hours. Information boards cover the plant and animal species found there.

Messinese Cuisine

Pignolata messinese consists of small pieces of fried dough with vanilla and cocoa icing and is probably considered the city’s most iconic pastry. Pane Cunzatu is considered a homemade, wood-fired bread of the Messinese tradition and is associated with the Colli San Rizzo.

Getting Around the City and Travel Planning

The completed urban cycling project in Messina extended the existing cycle path in the city centre by 6 kilometres along a protected, separated route; it was completed on 31 December 2023. When planning your days, you can combine culture, nature, festivals, active pursuits and cuisine as different focal points. Your choice of a hotel in Messina can be guided by your personal priorities.

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For your further travel planning: Santo Stefano Di Camastra, Alicudi Porto, Rodia, Alì, Floresta.

More About the Destination

Relevant information for your travel planning:

Strait of Messina, swimming, hiking, pilgrimage Holiday between Messina and Taormina.

To the higher-level travel overview: Messina.