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Messina is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, Italy and the capital of the province which bears its name. Messina has a population of 260,000.Founded by Greek colonists in the 8th century BC, Messina was originally called Zancle (scythe) because of the shape of its natural harbour. Of that name there still remains the 'Scalinata Zanclea' stairs.
The city was sacked in 396 BC by the Carthaginians.
Messina was almost entirely destroyed by an earthquake and associated tsunami on the morning of December 28, 1908, killing over 75,000 people. In June 1955, Messina was the location of the conference of western European foreign ministers which led to the creation of the European Economic Community.
Other cities and places of interest in the province include Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, Milazzo, the Aeolian Islands ( LipariLipari (Roman Lipara ancient Greek Meligunis is the biggest of the Aeolian Islands, in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the north coast of Sicily, and also the island's main town. It has approximately 11,000 inhabitants and during the tourist season (May-September)), TindariTindari is a small city in the province of Messina in Sicily, between Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto and Cefalu. It has a famous sanctuary and is also famous for the poem Vento a Tindari written by Salvatore Quasimodo., TaorminaTaormina is a town on the island of Sicily in Italy and in ancient times a Greek colony Tauromenium , dating from ca. It is popular with tourists. Wilhelm von Gloeden worked here most of his life as photographer of mainly male nudes. See also European arc and Capo d'Orlando . The province of Messina contains 108 communes.
Antonello da MessinaAntonello da Messina (c. 1430- 1479) was a Sicilian painter active during the Italian Renaissance. He is believed to have been a pupil of Colantonio in Naples. His oil painting technique suggests that he spent time in Flanders, with its interest in light, Italian painter and genius of the Renaissance, was born in Messina in 1430.
Filippo JuvaraFilippo Juvara Juvarra , Italian architect, was born in Messina in 1678 and died in Madrid in 1736. He was member of a silversmiths family, and after a period of formation in Messina he moved to Rome where he was student of Carlo Fontana. Juvara, Filippo (Juvarra), Italian architect highest exponent of Baroque, was born in Messina in 1678
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Towns of Sicily
Coastal cities
