"A broken day trip" Top 5 Page for this destination Messina by hquittner

Messina Travel Guide: 92 reviews and 205 photos

Rt>Lt:Duomo, Campanile edge of Orion Fountain

Seeing the major sites

Messina is a busy 270K port city with no interest in tourists (90% of whom are passing thru).It is narrow and long stretching along the Straits.It is a city of survivors and proud of it. The major monuments are in the Piazza del Duomo. This was our first day of sightseeing. We parked in a garage near the port and Stazione and to save time took a cab to theP.Our ultimate goal was to watch the automata of the Campanile. With an hour to spare we studied the Fountain of Orion, looked at the Astronomical clock of the C. and the details of the Duomo. The mechanical show lasted to 12:15. We walked back to the port (20 min) past the Statue of Don Juan and the Church of the Catalani to the port. The next hydrofoil was at 1:15 and there were no eateries in sight The nearest were too far so we fasted. We had decided to go to Reggio to see the Riace Bronzes. From the debark to the Museum by cab a relaxed viewing before closing and a very late fast Tavola Calda lunch while a cab was summoned and we were back in time for the hydrofoil landing near our garage by 4:30. Up the long Via Garabaldi and on to the Museo Regionale which is open late on Sat. Relaxed viewing until late(7:00) . Returning toward Via Boccetta we found everybody in M. out ina passagiata by car. By 8PM we were on the A18 to our base where we had a stylish dinner at 9PM.The traffic was so heavy that we could study the flood-lit Neptune fountai as we crawled by! Way to go.

Pros and Cons

Pros:More than enough for a day
Cons:I do not have timetables for this
In a nutshell:I like Messina

Last visit to Messina: Nov 2003
Intro Written Mar 21, 2005
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Reviews (5)

Il Campanile Things to Do (4)

The Campanile has been much reworked but maintains its civic centrality and Norman design topped by 4 pinnacles, a... more travel advice

Il Duomo Things to Do (4)

After its 2nd destruction in WWII, the determined Messinians rebuilt the Duomo in the Romanesque style used by Roger II... more travel advice

Autoscafe (Hydrofoil) to Reggio di... Transportation (1)

The hydrofoil (I think it is government run) docks along the Quay about 100 yards north of the Statione Maritima. I do... more travel advice

I cannot see the museo but it is there. - Messina

Museo Regionale Things to Do (4)

Messina is an elongated "sickle-shaped" city and the museum is in its northern section, We found parking among the... more travel advice

Comments (2)

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balhannah Dec 7, 2010 at 10:46 PM

Sounds like "that" clock may be quite interesting to watch and listen to!
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arlequin_g Jul 2, 2005 at 10:13 AM

Nice place. I was in Italy so many years ago and would like to come back.