Comune di Messina
Municipal coat of arms
Location of Messina in Italy
Country	Italy
Region	Sicily
Province	Messina (ME)
Mayor	Francantonio Genovese
Elevation	3 m (10 ft)
Area	211 km² (81 sq mi)
Population (as of 1 January 2005)
- Total	247,592
- Density	1,173/km² (3,038/sq mi)
Time zone	CET, UTC+1
Coordinates	38°11′N 15°33′E
Gentilic	Messinesi, Peloritani, Mamertini
Dialing code	090
Postal code	98100
Frazioni	See list
Patron	Madonna of the Letter
- Day	3 June
Website: www.comune.messina.it

Messina (Missina in Sicilian) is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, Italy and the capital of the province of Messina. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. In Italy, a Province (in Italian provincia) is an administrative division of intermediate level between Municipality ( Comune Messina (Italian Provincia di Messina; Sicilian: Pruvincia di Missina) is a province in the autonomous island region New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Central European Time ( CET) is one of the names of the Time zone that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+1 is used in the following locations Central European Time West Africa Time Western European Summer Time A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place Here are a list of area codes in Italy. All numbers here begin with the country code (0039 A frazione, in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a Comune; for other Administrative Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, proclaims himself Roman Emperor, entering Sicilian (scn '''''lu sicilianu''''' lingua siciliana, also known as Siculu or Calabro-Sicilian) is a Romance language. Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Messina (Italian Provincia di Messina; Sicilian: Pruvincia di Missina) is a province in the autonomous island region It has a population of 250,000 inhabitants in the city proper and about 500,000 in the metropolitan area.

It is located near the North-East corner of Sicily, at the Strait of Messina, just opposite Villa San Giovanni which is itself north of Reggio Calabria across the straits, on the mainland. The Strait of Messina ( Strittu di Missina in Sicilian) is the narrow section of water between the eastern tip of Sicily and the southern Villa San Giovanni is a town in the Province of Reggio Calabria, Calabria, Italy. Reggio di Calabria (Italian pronunciation /ˈrɛʤo ˌdikaˈlabrja/ Calabrian dialect: Rìggiu, Greek-Calabrian: Righi, Greek:

The main economical resource of the city is the port, both commercial and military, with several shipyards. Agriculture include cultivations of lemons, oranges, mandarin oranges and other fruit, vegetables and wine. The lemon ( Citrus × limon) is a hybrid in cultivated wild plants An orange —specifically the sweet orange —is the Citrus fruit Citrus sinensis ( syn The Mandarin orange or mandarin (or mandarine) is a small Citrus tree ( Citrus reticulata) with fruit resembling the orange.

The city has been a Roman Catholic Archdiocese and Archimandrite seat since 1548 and is home to a locally important International Fair.

Contents 1 History 2 Main sights 2.1 Religious buildings 2.2 Other 3 Notable people 4 Messina in literature 5 Notes 6 External links 7 See also

History

Founded by Greek colonists in the 8th century BC, Messina was originally called Zancle (a native word for "scythe"—but in legend the name is attributed to King Zanclus) because of the shape of its natural harbour. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία The 8th century BC started the first day of 800 BC and ended the last day of 701 BC. Zanclus ( Greek: Ζάγκλος is the legendary first king of the Sicilian city of Messina. (The stairs leading to the harbour are to this day called 'Scaletta Zanclea'. ) In the early 5th century BC, Anaxilas of Rhegium renamed it Messene in honor of the Greek city Messene (Greek: Μεσσήνη). The 5th century BC started the first day of 500 BC and ended the last day of 401 BC. Anaxilas was tyrant of Rhegium, in the southwestern tip of Italy from 474 BC - 476 BC. Messene was also the name of a Greek colony in Sicily, initially founded as Zancle and nowadays known as Messina. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly See also List of traditional Greek place names. This is a list of Greek place names. That is a list of the names of places as they exist in the Greek language. The city was sacked in 397 BC by the Carthaginians, then reconquered by Dionysius I of Syracuse. The Battle of Messene took place in 397 BC in Sicily Carthage in retaliation for the attack on Motya by Dionysius I of Syracuse, had sent an army under Carthage (Καρχηδών Karkhēdōn, Carthago from the Phoenician קרת חדשת phn-Latn Qart-ḥadašt meaning new town) refers Dionysius I or Dionysius the Elder (ca 432&ndash367 BC Greek: Διονύσιος) Tyrant of Syracuse, conquered several cities

In 288 BC the Mamertines seized the city by treachery, killing all the men and taking the women as their wives. The Mamertines ( Mamertini "sons of Mars" were mercenaries of Italian origin who had been hired from their home in Campania by The city became a base from which they ravaged the countryside, leading to a conflict with the expanding regional empire of Syracuse. Syracuse (Siracusa Sicilian: Sarausa, Classical Greek: / transliterated Syrakousai) is a historic City in Hiero II, tyrant of Syracuse, defeated the Mamertines near Mylae on the Longanus River and besieged Messina. Hieron II, king of Syracuse from 270 to 215 BC was the illegitimate son of a Syracusan noble Hierocles, who claimed descent from Gelon He was a former Milazzo ( Latin: Mylae) is a town of on the north coast of Sicily, Italy. The Longanus (also Longanos or Loitanus) River was a river in north-eastern Sicily on the Mylaean plain and was as recorded by Carthage assisted the Mamertines because of a long-standing conflict with Syracuse over dominance in Sicily. Carthage (Καρχηδών Karkhēdōn, Carthago from the Phoenician קרת חדשת phn-Latn Qart-ḥadašt meaning new town) refers When Hiero attacked a second time in 264 BC, the Mamertines petitioned Rome for an alliance, hoping for more reliable protection. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Although initially reluctant to assist lest it encourage other mercenary groups to mutiny, Rome was unwilling to see Carthaginian power spread further over Sicily and encroach on Italy. Rome therefore entered into an alliance with the Mamertines. In 264 BC, Roman troops were deployed to Sicily, the first time a Roman army acted outside the Italian peninsula.

At the end of the first Punic War it was a free city allied with Rome. The First Punic War ( 264 to 241 BC) was the first of three major wars fought between Carthage and the Roman Republic. In Roman times Messina, then known as Messana, had an important pharos (lighthouse). Messana was the base of Sextus Pompeius, during his war against Octavian. Augustus ( Latin: IMPERATOR·CAESAR·DIVI·FILIVS·AVGVSTVS September 23 63 BC – August 19 AD 14) born Gaius Octavius Thurinus, was

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the city was successively conquered by the Goths, then by the Byzantine Empire in 535, by the Arabs in 842, and in 1061 by the Norman brothers Robert Guiscard and Roger Guiscard (later count Roger I of Sicily). The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial The Goths ( Gothic: Gothic usvg|14px|u]]Gothic asvg|14px|a]]Gothic s Events By Place Byzantine Empire Justinian I orders Belisarius to start the reconquest of Italy; Mundus Events By Place Europe February 14 - Charles the Bald and Louis the German sign a treaty The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. Robert Guiscard (from Latin Viscardus and Old French Viscart, often rendered the Resourceful, the Cunning, the Wily Roger I (1031 &ndash June 22, 1101) called Bosso and the Great Count, was the Norman Count of Sicily from 1071 to 1101 In 1189 the English King Richard I stopped at Messina in his path towards the Holy Land and briefly occupied the city after a dispute over the dowry of his sister, who had been married to William II of Sicily. Richard I (8 September 1157 &ndash 6 April 1199 was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death William II (French language Guillaume II, 1155 &ndash November 11 1189 Palermo) called the Good, was king of Sicily

Messina was most likely the harbour at which the Black Death entered Europe in the Middle Ages (1347): the plague was brought by Genoese ships coming from Jaffa in Palestine. The Black Death, or the Black Plague, was one of the deadliest Pandemics in human history widely thought to have been caused by a bacterium named Yersinia Jaffa يَافَا;(יָפוֹ Yafo; also Japho, Joppa) is an ancient Port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world Palestine is a name which has been widely used since Roman times to refer to the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. In 1548 St. Ignatius founded here the first Jesuit College of the world, which later gave birth to the Studium Generale (the current University of Messina). Saint Ignatius redirects here for other Saints see Ignatius. Ignatius of Loyola, also known as Íñigo Oñaz López de Loyola The Society of Jesus ( Latin: Societas Iesu, SJ and SI or SJ, SI) is a Catholic religious order College ( Latin collegium) is a term most often used today to denote an Educational Institution. The University of Messina ( Italian: Università degli Studi di Messina, UNIME is a university located in Messina, Italy, and founded in

The Christian ships that won the Battle of Lepanto (1571) left from Messina: the Spanish author Cervantes, who took part in the battle, recovered for some time in the Grand Hospital. Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra ( in modern Spanish; September 29, 1547 &ndash April 22, 1616) was a Spanish Novelist The city reached the peak of its splendour in the early 17th century, under Spanish domination: at the time it was one of the ten greatest cities in Europe. In 1674 the city rebelled against the foreign garrison. It managed to remain independent for some time, thanks to the help of the French king Louis XIV, but in 1678, with the Peace of Nijmegen, it was reconquered by the Spaniards and sacked: the University, the Senate and all the privileges of autonomy it had enjoyed since the Roman times were abolished. Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent The Treaties of Peace of Nijmegen ( Négotiations de Nimegue or Négotiations de la Paix de Nimègue) were a series of treaties signed in the Dutch city A massive fortress was built by the occupants, and thenceforth Messina decayed steadily.

In 1847 it was one of the first cities in Italy where Risorgimento riots broke out. Year 1847 ( MDCCCXLVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Italian Unification ( Italian: il Risorgimento, or "The Resurgence" was the political and social movement that unified different states of the Italian In 1848 it rebelled openly against the reigning Bourbons, but was heavily suppressed again. Year 1848 ( MDCCCXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap The House of Bourbon is an important European Royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty. Only in 1860, after the Battle of Milazzo, the Garibaldine troops freed the city. Year 1860 ( MDCCLX) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year starting Garibaldi redirects here for other meanings see Garibaldi (disambiguation. One of the main figure of the unification of Italy, Giuseppe Mazzini, was elected deputy at Messina in the general elections of 1866. Italian Unification ( Italian: il Risorgimento, or "The Resurgence" was the political and social movement that unified different states of the Italian Giuseppe Mazzini ( June 22, 1805, Genoa, Italy - March 10, 1872, Pisa, Italy was an Italian Patriot The Italian Chamber of Deputies ( Camera dei Deputati) is the Lower house of the Parliament of Italy.

The city was almost entirely destroyed by an earthquake and associated tsunami on the morning of December 28, 1908, killing about 60,000 people and destroying most of the ancient architecture. Beaux Arts architecture denotes the academic classical Architectural style that was taught at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris. The Messina Earthquake was an earthquake that occurred on December 28, 1908. A tsunami ((tsuːˈnɑːmi is a series of waves created when Events 1065 - Westminster Abbey is Consecrated. 1308 - The reign of Emperor Hanazono, Emperor of Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year The city was largely rebuilt in the following year, according to a more modern and rational plan. Further damage was added by the massive Allied air bombardments of 1943, which caused thousand of deaths. Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Later, the city gained a Gold Medal for Military Valour and one for Civil Valour in memory of the event and the subsequent effort of reconstruction.

In June 1955, Messina was the location of the Messina Conference of western European foreign ministers which led to the creation of the European Economic Community^[1]. Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) The Messina Conference was held from 1 to 3 June 1955 at the Italian city of Messina on the island of Sicily. The European Community (EC is one of the Three pillars of the European Union (EU created under the Maastricht Treaty (1992

Main sights

Religious buildings

• The 12th century Cathedral contains the remains of Conrad, king of Germany and Sicily in the 13th century. Conrad IV ( 25 April 1228 &ndash 21 May 1254) was king of Jerusalem (as Conrad II) (1228&ndash1254 of Germany After the quake of 1908, the cathedral was almost entirely rebuilt in 1919/1920; after a fire in 1943 it had to be rebuilt again. The original Norman structure can be seen in the apsidal area. The façade has three late Gothic portals, the central one probably dating from the early 15th century, with noteworthy decorations. See also Gothic art Gothic architecture is a style of Architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. The architrave is decorated with a sculpture of Christ Among the Evangelists and representations of human figures, animals and plants. The tympanum is from 1468. A tympanum (plural tympana is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance bounded by a Lintel and Arch. The interior has a nave and two equally long aisles divided by files of 28 columns; some of the decorative elements are from the original edifice. Beside of that of Conrad IV, the tombs include those of Archbishop Palmer (died in 1195), Archbishop Guidotto de Abbiate (14th century) and Antonio La Legname (16th century). The mosaics in the apse are reconstructions. Noteworthy is the Chapel of the Sacrament (late 16th century), with scenographic decorations and 14th century mosaics. Very famous as touristic attraction is the clock tower, with several animated mechanical statues which every days at noon show some events of Christian and Messina history.
• The Annunziata dei Catalani (late 12th-13th century). Dating from the late Norman period, it was transformed in the 13th century when the nave was shortened and the façade added. It has a cylindrical apse and a high dome emerging from a high tambour. In Classical architecture, a tambour ( Fr: " Drum " is the Inverted bell of the Corinthian capital around which Noteworthy is the external decoration of the transept and the dome area, with a series of blind arches separated by small columns. Full descriptions of the elements of a Gothic floorplan are found at the entry Cathedral diagram.
• Santa Maria degli Alemanni (probably from the early 13th century), which belonged to the Knights of Malta. The Knights Hospitaller (also known as the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St
• Sanctuary of Montevergine, where the incorrupt body of Saint Eustochia Smeralda Calafato rests. Incorruptibility is the property of a body — usually a human body — that does not decompose after death A saint (from the Latin sanctus) is a human being to whom has been attributed (and who has generally demonstrated a high level of Holiness and Sanctity Eustochia Smeralda Calafato ( Messina, March 25 1434 – Messina January 20, 1485) is an Franciscan Italian

Other

• Palazzo Calapaj, near the Cathedral, an example of 18th century Messinese architecture which survived to the 1908 earthquake. The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system
• The Fountain of Orion and the Fountain of Neptune, by Giovanni Angelo Montorsoli (16th century). Giovanni Antonio Montorsoli (ca 1506 -1563 also known as Fra Montorsoli, as Michele Agnolo and as Angelo di Michele d' Angelo da Poggibonsi, was
• The Senatory Fountain (1619)
• The Four Fountains
• The San Ranieri Lighthouse (or Tower), from 1555.
• The Orto Botanico "Pietro Castelli" dell'Università di Messina, a botanical garden
• The Regional Museum, which hosts, among others, paintings from Caravaggio and Antonello da Messina. The Orto Botanico "Pietro Castelli" dell'Università di Messina (8000 m² also known as the Orto botanico di Messina, is a Botanical garden operated by Botanical gardens grow a wide variety of Plants primarily to categorize and document for scientific purposes Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, usually just known as Caravaggio, (28 September 1571 – 18 July 1610 was an Italian Artist active in Rome Antonello da Messina, properly Antonello di Giovanni di Antonio (c
• The Pylons, built in 1957 for a 220kV-overhead powerline across the Strait of Messina. The Pylons of Messina were once used to carry a 220 Kilovolt powerline across the Strait of Messina, between the Rizziconi substation in An overhead power line is an electric power transmission line suspended by towers or poles At the time of its construction, the two pylons were the highest in the world. This powerline has since been replaced by an underwater cable, but the pylons still remain, protected as historical monuments, and freely visitable since 2006 summer by tourists.

Notable people

• Antonello da Messina, Italian painter and genius of the Renaissance, was born in Messina in 1430. Antonello da Messina, properly Antonello di Giovanni di Antonio (c
• Dicaearchus, Greek philosopher and mathematician, born in Messina 350 BC. Dicaearchus (or Dicearchus, Δικαίαρχος of Messana, who lived c Events By place Persian Empire Sidon, the centre of the revolt against Persia, seeks help from its sister city of Tyre
• Eustochia Smeralda Calafato, Italian Saint, was born in Messina in 1434. Eustochia Smeralda Calafato ( Messina, March 25 1434 – Messina January 20, 1485) is an Franciscan Italian
• Francesco Maurolico, Italian astronomer and mathematician, was born in Messina in 1494. Francesco Maurolico (in Latin, Franciscus Maurolycus; September 16, 1494 - July 21 or July 22, 1575) was an
• Filippo Juvarra, also spelled Filippo Juvara, Italian architect and highest exponent of the Baroque, was born in Messina in 1678. Filippo Juvarra, ( March 7, 1678 - January 31, 1736) was an Italian Architect and Scene Filippo Juvarra, ( March 7, 1678 - January 31, 1736) was an Italian Architect and Scene
• Hannibal Mary Di Francia, Italian Saint, was born in Messina in 1851. Annibale Maria di Francia (born July 5, 1851 in Messina Italy, died June 1, 1927) is a saint venerated by the Roman Catholic 1851 ( MDCCCLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year

Messina in literature

Many writers set their works in Messina, among them:

• Plutarch - The Life of Pompey (40 BC?)
• Giovanni Boccaccio - Decameron IV day V novel, Lisabetta da Messina - IV day IV Novel, Gerbino ed Elissa (1351)
• Matteo Bandello - Novelliere First Part, novel XXII (1554)
• William Shakespeare - Much Ado about Nothing (1598) and Antony and Cleopatra (1607)
• Molière Jean Baptiste Poquelin - L'Etourdi ou Les Contre-temps (1654)
• Friedrich Schiller - Die Braut von Messina (The Bride of Messina, 1803)
• Silvio Pellico - Eufemio da Messina (1818)
• Friedrich Nietzsche - Idyllen aus Messina (Idylls from Messina, 1882)
• Giovanni Pascoli - poetry L'Aquilone (1904)
• Elio Vittorini - Le donne di Messina (Women of Messina', 1949) and Conversazione in Sicilia (Conversations in Sicily, 1941)
• Stefano D'Arrigo - Horcynus Orca (1975)
• Julien Green - Demain n'existe pas (1985)

Notes

External links

• (Italian) Official Municipality website
• (Italian) Messina website
• (Italian) University website
• (Italian) Prefettura website
• (Italian) Catholic Archdiocese of Messina-Lipari-Santa Lucia del Mela
• (Italian) Chamber of Commerce website
• (Italian) Theater of Messina Vittorio Emanuele
• (Italian) Tourism Office website
• (Italian) International Trade Fair website
• (Italian) All about sport in Messina
• Messina Port Authority
• (Italian) (Japanese) Football Club website

See also

F.C. Messina Peloro

Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus ( Greek: Μέστριος Πλούταρχος c Year 40 BC was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. Matteo Bandello (c 1480 &ndash 1562 was an Italian novelist Biography Matteo Bandello was born at Castelnuovo Scrivia, near Tortona (current William Shakespeare ( baptised Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy by William Shakespeare. First published in 1600 it is likely to have been first performed in the autumn or winter Antony and Cleopatra is a Tragedy by William Shakespeare. It was first printed in the First Folio of 1623 Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, also known by his Stage name, Molière, ( January 15, 1622 – February 17 1673) was a French Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller krɪstɔf friːtʁɪç fɔn ʃɪləʁ/ʃɪlɐ (10 November 1759 9 May 1805 was a German Poet, Philosopher 1803 ( MDCCCIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Silvio Pellico ( 24 June 1788 &ndash 31 January 1854) was an Italian writer poet Dramatist and patriot Year 1818 ( MDCCCXVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15 1844 August 25 1900 ( was a nineteenth-century German philosopher and classical philologist Year 1882 ( MDCCCLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Giovanni Pascoli ( December 31, 1855 — April 6, 1912) was an Italian Poet and classical Scholar. Year 1904 ( MCMIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting on Elio Vittorini ( July 23, 1908 - February 12, 1966) was an Italian Writer and Novelist Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Stefano D'Arrigo ( October 15, 1919 - May 2, 1992) was an Italian writer Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Julian Hartridge Green, or Julien Green ( September 6 1900 – August 13 1998) was a French born American Author of several Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) Football Club Messina Peloro are an Italian football club based in Messina, Sicily originally founded in 1900

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