Messina is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, Italy and the capital of the province of Messina. 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 main economical resource of the city is the port, both commercial and military, with several shipyards. Agriculture includes cultivation of lemons, oranges, mandarin oranges and other fruit, vegetables and wine.
The city has been a Roman Catholic Archdiocese and Archimandrite seat since 1548 and is home to a locally important International Fair. |
