Gateway to Sicily: A Messina Walking Tour

Messina, with its strategic location between two continents and two seas, has been a cultural crossroads for centuries. On this walking tour, you‘ll explore the resilient ‘gateway to Sicily’ that‘s been destroyed multiple times, but always reemerged more beautiful than before.

The tour starts at Largo Giacomo Minutoli, a square near the harbor. You‘ll wander through the historic center, where wide, modern streets that were laid after the devastating 1908 earthquake conceal fascinating stories about its Greek, Roman, Arab, Norman, and Spanish pasts.

On your way to the spectacular Astronomical Clock of the Cathedral of Messina where the tour ends, you‘ll pass elegant palaces, ancient churches, and vibrant squares. Along the way, you‘ll have plenty of opportunities to rest, take photos, and sample Sicilian treats. As you explore Messina‘s rebuilt landscape, you‘ll gain insight into how catastrophic events, from earthquakes to WWII bombings, have shaped the city you see today.

On this 75-minute tour, you‘ll also:

• Learn how to identify Messina‘s oldest buildings and understand why the city looks more modern than other Sicilian towns
• Discover the Arab-Norman church, Chiesa Santissima Annunziata dei Catalani, the city‘s oldest surviving religious building, which sits below street level and reveal details from Sicily‘s past
• View the Statua di Don Giovanni d‘Austria (statue of Don John of Austria) and learn how Messina‘s harbor played a crucial role in the historic 1571 Battle of Lepanto
• Find out how this harbor city was named for its sickle-shaped port, and why counting a building‘s floors reveals its age
• Admire the elegant late Baroque architecture of Palazzo Calapaj-d‘Alcontres, the only aristocratic residence that survived the 1908 earthquake
• Listen to the story of the Madonna della Lettera, Messina‘s protector, who promised eternal protection to the city‘s people
• Sample authentic Sicilian treats like granita, cannoli, and arancini at local pastry shops and bakeries
• Explore Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Square), and learn how Basilica Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta, the Norman-era church, has been destroyed and rebuilt multiple times through centuries

By the end of this tour, you’ll understand why Messina remains Sicily‘s most important gateway, and one of its most resilient communities.