Discover Messina: Cathedral Culture, Nature and Local Cuisine

Messina combines an impressive urban history with unique opportunities for observing nature and a distinctive culinary tradition. If you are looking for accommodation in Messina, you will find starting points here for a variety of holiday experiences: sacred art and historic buildings, lagoon landscapes, festive traditions and typical specialities of Messinese cuisine.

Cathedral, museums and traces of the city’s history

Messina Cathedral is one of the city’s defining historical landmarks. Its construction began between 1130 and 1154 under the rule of Roger II; the cathedral was consecrated in 1197. The building includes a Norman crypt with 17th-century frescoes. The bell tower is 60 metres high, and its mechanical figures move every day at 12 noon. The Museo Tesoro del Duomo di Messina is located in the cathedral’s southern atrium. Around 400 works from the 10th to the 20th century are displayed there. The collection represents the creative work of Messinese goldsmiths and silversmiths and bears witness to the veneration of the city’s patron saint, Madonna della Lettera. Another focal point is the Museo Regionale Maria Accascina in Messina. It 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 important works by Antonello da Messina and Caravaggio. On Via Giacomo Venezian stands the monumental portal, the surviving part of the Jesuit college founded in Messina by Pope Paul III by papal bull on 16 November 1548. It is considered the city’s first university and the world’s first Jesuit college. After the earthquake of 1908, the complex was rebuilt according to plans by Giuseppe Botto and inaugurated in 1922. Another historical highlight is a fountain commissioned by the Senate of Messina from the sculptor Giovan Angelo Montorsoli and completed in 1553.

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 in this area. Located along the migratory route across the Strait of Messina, it serves as a resting place for migratory birds; more than 160 bird species have been recorded there to date. Capo Peloro therefore offers a distinctive natural dimension alongside the city’s cultural attractions. Lago Ganzirri is a rare meromictic coastal basin within the dune system of Capo Peloro. The technical term describes a body of water whose layers do not mix completely. The area around Messina is also home to the Sentiero dell’ABC, an easy-to-walk 2.5-kilometre footpath with a walking time of around 2 hours. Information boards focus on the plant and animal species found there.

Festivals, historical re-enactments and Messinese cuisine

The Vara takes place in Messina every year on 15 August. The votive structure is 13.50 metres high and weighs around 8 tonnes. Another annual historical re-enactment recalls the arrival of Don John of Austria in the port of Messina. The school ship Palinuro represents Don John of Austria’s galley in the re-enactment. Local cuisine is also part of the city’s distinctive character. 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 regarded as homemade bread baked in a wood-fired oven in the Messinese tradition and is associated with the Colli San Rizzo. For getting around the city, a completed cycling project is also documented: The existing cycle path in the city centre was extended by 6 kilometres on a protected, segregated route; the project was completed on 31 December 2023. If you would like to extend your research beyond Messina, you can also include San Saba, Capizzi, San Fratello, Motta Camastra, Nizza di Sicilia, Acquedolci and San Paolo in your further search.

For the overarching travel overview: Messina.

More about the destination

Relevant information for planning your trip:

Province of Messina: Coast, Taormina and the Aeolian Islands | Sizilien-Netz.