Sfincione soft focaccia with tomato, onion, anchovies and caciocavallo
Tall, soft bread dough, tomato, onion, anchovies, oregano and caciocavallo: sfincione is Palermo's focaccia, cut into squares.
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Six of the seven Aeolian Islands belong to a single municipality, Lipari, a quirk that suits a province split into 108 towns, more than any other in Sicily. This is the north-eastern corner of the island, the Tyrrhenian Sea on one side and the Ionian on the other, with the Strait of Messina to the east, where barely three kilometres of water separate Sicily from mainland Calabria. Messina is the capital, and the Capo Peloro lagoon at the tip is a protected biosphere reserve.
Two of Italy's best-known destinations sit here. Taormina holds its cathedral, the Monte Tauro castle and Casa Cuseni above the sea, and the Aeolian Islands, from Stromboli and Vulcano to Salina, Panarea and Alicudi, have been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2000. On the Tyrrhenian coast Milazzo pairs a castle with the marine reserve at Capo Milazzo, and inland the road climbs to Montalbano Elicona and the Nebrodi park.
Towns in the province of Messina
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108 towns
Acquedolci Alcara li Fusi Alì Alì Terme Antillo Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto Basicò Brolo Capizzi Capo d'Orlando Capri Leone Caronia Casalvecchio Siculo Castel di Lucio Castell'Umberto Castelmola Castroreale Cesarò Condrò Falcone Ficarra Fiumedinisi Floresta Fondachelli-Fantina Forza d'Agrò Francavilla di Sicilia Frazzanò Furci Siculo Furnari Gaggi Galati Mamertino Gallodoro Giardini-Naxos Gioiosa Marea Graniti Gualtieri Sicaminò Itala Leni Letojanni Librizzi Limina Lipari Longi Malfa Malvagna Mandanici Mazzarrà Sant'Andrea Merì Messina Capital Milazzo Militello Rosmarino Mirto Mistretta Moio Alcantara Monforte San Giorgio Mongiuffi Melia Montagnareale Montalbano Elicona Motta Camastra Motta d'Affermo Naso Nizza di Sicilia Novara di Sicilia Oliveri Pace del Mela Pagliara Patti Pettineo Piraino Raccuja Reitano Roccafiorita Roccalumera Roccavaldina Roccella Valdemone Rodì Milici Rometta San Filippo del Mela San Fratello San Marco d'Alunzio San Pier Niceto San Piero Patti San Salvatore di Fitalia San Teodoro Sant'Agata di Militello Sant'Alessio Siculo Sant'Angelo di Brolo Santa Domenica Vittoria Santa Lucia del Mela Santa Marina Salina Santa Teresa di Riva Santo Stefano di Camastra Saponara Savoca Scaletta Zanclea Sinagra Spadafora Taormina Terme Vigliatore Torregrotta Torrenova Tortorici Tripi Tusa Ucria Valdina Venetico Villafranca Tirrena
The best of Province of Messina
The top 20 places in Messina
Our editors' ranking: the area's most important places, drawn from the individual town guides. See the national rankings →
1 🏺 Archaeological sites Teatro Antico di Taormina 📍 Taormina Sicily's second-largest ancient theatre, with Etna framed in the gap of the Roman stage wall. 
2 🌋 Nature & views Stromboli and the Sciara del Fuoco 📍 Lipari The islanders call it Iddu: it has exploded for millennia, and the Sciara runs down to the sea. 
3 🏖️ Beaches & sea Isola Bella 📍 Taormina A tidal island in Taormina known for its exotic flora and mid-century architecture camouflaged among the rocks. - 4 chiesa dei Santi Pietro e Paolo d'Agrò Casalvecchio Siculo · ⛪ Churches & sanctuaries
- 5 Abacano Tripi · 🏺 Archaeological sites
- 6 Forte Gonzaga Messina · 🏰 Castles & palaces
- 7 Alesa Arconidea Tusa · 🖼️ Museums
- 8 Borgo Storico Pantano Rometta · 🏛️ Squares & old towns
- 9 Palazzo del Municipio Acquedolci · 🏰 Castles & palaces
- 10 Villaggio di Portella Santa Marina Salina · 🏰 Castles & palaces
- 11 concattedrale di San Bartolomeo Lipari · ⛪ Churches & sanctuaries
- 12 fontana di Orione Messina · 🏛️ Squares & old towns
- 13 Forte del Santissimo Salvatore Messina · 🏰 Castles & palaces
- 14 orologio astronomico di Messina Messina · 🏛️ Squares & old towns
- 15 Basilica di Sant'Antonio di Padova Messina · ⛪ Churches & sanctuaries
- 16 Castellaccio Messina · 🏰 Castles & palaces
- 17 Castello Matagrifone Messina · 🏰 Castles & palaces
- 18 chiesa del Carmine Messina · ⛪ Churches & sanctuaries
- 19 chiesa del Santissimo Salvatore Messina · ⛪ Churches & sanctuaries
- 20 chiesa della Madonna di Pompei Messina · ⛪ Churches & sanctuaries
Messina and around, on the map
Straight-line distances from the town centre. Tap a point to open its page.
🍝 At the table: Sicily
Arancina fried rice ball stuffed with meat ragù
Saffron rice, ragù with peas and caciocavallo cheese inside a golden crust. Round and feminine in Palermo, pointed and called arancino in Catania: the quarrel is serious.
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Arancino fried rice cone stuffed with ragù, pointed like Etna
Saffron rice, ragù with peas and caciocavallo inside a golden cone-shaped crust: in Catania it is masculine and pointed, and the quarrel with Palermo over the name is serious.
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Saint Luke the Evangelist, patron of the town of a champion of the Challenge of Barletta
📅 Every year, on 18 October; Saint Roch, protector, is celebrated on 16 August
Motta d'Affermo celebrates Saint Luke the Evangelist on 18 October; the town was ruled by the Albamonte family, including Guglielmo, one of the thirteen Italian champions of the famous Challenge of Barletta in 1503.
Maria Santissima of Capo d'Orlando
📅 Every year, on 22 October
On 22 October Capo d'Orlando celebrates its patroness, the Madonna whose sanctuary of 1600 stands among the remains of the castle, on the hill above the town.
Two patrons for two villages: Saint Leonard in Mongiuffi, Saint Sebastian in Melia
📅 Every year, on 6 November in Mongiuffi (Saint Leonard) and on 20 January in Melia (Saint Sebastian)
Mongiuffi Melia, a municipality born from the union of two distinct villages, celebrates Saint Leonard on 6 November in Mongiuffi and Saint Sebastian on 20 January in Melia; the area also holds the diocesan sanctuaries of Santa Maria della Catena and the Madonna dell'Aiuto.
Feast of Saint Theodore
📅 Every year, on 9 November
On 9 November Gallodoro celebrates its patron Saint Theodore; the municipal territory includes Monte Pietrabianca, on the Ionian side of the Peloritani mountains.