I am about myself to... to tell Messina, some features of its glorious and heroic history that it does not have equal for the extraordinary vicissitudes that in the course of the centuries are succedute and for tragic the natural events that, unfortunately, they have it marked.

The origins of the peloritana city are much remote, go back in fact to the 730 a.C. when farmers Greek coming from from Calcide (the Eubea island) founded it with the name of Zancle, from the Greek "scythe" for the arched shape of its Port: penisoletta the Saint final Ranieri in the bastion of the Saint Salvatore that, exactly, encloses it. According to Diodoro the name has had to its foundation from part of Zancleo king of the Sicilian ones. Zancle, favorite from its strategic geographic position, to the center of the Mediterranean, very soon was developed founding in its turn other colonies (Mylae and Hymera between the VIII and the VII century a.C.). Anassila, tyrant of Reggio, wanting to extend its dominion on both the sides of the Strait, got hold of the city it was appropriated of the city and to the place of the Samis and Milesi exiled Messeni installed you  Zancle assumed therefore the name of Messenion or Messene in honor of the Messenia native land of Anassila.

The two dictions are present both for some time in the coined coins to leave from the 493 a.C..

In the 427 a.C. Messenion had allied of Siracusa against the aims conquerors of the cartaginesis which with Imilcone (396 a.C.) they destroyed in part the city that came freed and reconstructed nearly endured from Dionigi the Old one, then was subject to Dione and, subsequently to Ippone, Timoleonte and Agatocle.

After the dead women of Agatocle, the coming from Mamertini, mercenary soldiers from southern Italy, with the tradimento, got hold of the city in the 288 a.C.. Defeats from Gerone II of Siracusa in the 265, the Mamertini before asked aid the Cartaginesi and, therefore, to the Roman that freed Messana from I besiege postole from Gerone II and i Cartaginesi. Such conflict was the first action of the three Puniche Wars (264 - 146 a.C.) and that they will carry the Roman to the conquest of the Sicily. Messana was proclaimed free and allied of foederata Rome "civitas", free from pays of war and of granaglie and Guide it defined it the largest and richest city .

During the wars you serve them, loyal with Rome for the rebellion of the slaves, was in part saved from the ruberie of the preTauruses and propretori in particular from those sadly famous of Verre, political man, partisan of Mario before and Silla then, yields responsible of ladronerie and soprusi of every type.

Later on it prospered still becoming an important and flourishing center trades them and of most Association of Bologna politicamente.

After it makes you and the splendors of the roman age it continued before to having great importance with the Ostrogoti and then with the Bizantini that rendered it beautiful of monuments and Messina it enjoyed administrative freedom. Emperor bizantino Arcadio, in the 407 d.C., gave a new coat of arms to them in substitution of the ancient one gonfalone with the three towers, the imperial mantle traversato from the cross of gold and name it protometropoli of the Magna Greece and the Sicily.

The conquistatrici sights of the muslim world prevailed, Messina was conquered from the Saraceni and this involved one slow but progressive forfeiture; many churches and Christian basiliani monasteri of orthodox ritual, constructed from the Bizantini, came plunder and destroyed to you, some churches as the Announced one of the Catalans came transformed in mosques.

With the Arabic domination of the Sicily, the city came fortified for being able to be best protect from other invasions, such defensive works was therefore imposing that, from the cartographies of the time, Messina city-fortress beyond that will appear like one city-port. In this period economic politics were illuminated and little esosa, the commerce increased always thanks to the geographic position inasmuch as the immense economic world of the Arabs extended from Spain to comprised Syria all the area of gravitante the Africa north in the Mediterranean.

Innovations in agriculture, the peach, the mining extraction and, above all, in the webbing and manufacture of the silk were introduced.

With the conquest of the Normanni, Messina was occupied in the 1061 from Ruggero II, all the Sicily prospered so much in all the fields and in particular way in that economic they trades and artistic. Free city, Messina is, in that period, between richest and beautiful of the Sicily.

The geographic position of the Strait mainly was valued, the city Door of the Sicily , for its economic floridezza, recalled coming from merchants from every part of Italy that was settled down to you. They were I found to you outside them walls basiliani convents and monasteri and ospitalieri places that dettero shelter during the political fights, accommodated members of the reigning families and promoted the agricultural colonization of the territories and practical for economic activities which the breeding of gets worm-eaten, the webbing of the wool and the silk. Between the famous monasteri that one of Saint Maria to Saint Mili Peter and, above all, that one of Saint Maria of commonly Goes called them " Badiazza " in locality S. Rizzo on the Peloritani Mounts.

Reconstructed and the beautifulst one of the Catalans was brought back to the Announced cristianità . To its Port they called and the ships dipartirono of Are crossed to you directed in Saint Earth; with the editto of Ruggero II Messina it had the title it of "Caput Reigns" , the Consulate of the Sea that dirime the controversies of commerce and navigation, its Mint mints currency for all the Reign with proud maxim M.N.S.C . "NOBLE MESSANA SICILIAE CAPUT" (the Mint to Messina operated until the 1678!)

In that period, under the urbanistico profile, it occupies the arched river basin that encloses the beautifulst Port and the prospiciente area is dominated from the Real Palace , characterized from the Dome , the Arsenal , the Archiepiscopal Palace and from it walls turrite that they include fortresses.

After the dead women of Guglielmo II the Bond ends the domination of the Normanni in Sicily. That to say? Beautifulst the Sicily normanna, we see it today!

In the Svevo period, with Enrico, the city obtained to YOU privileges of Free port and increased its traffics trades them; Maria Alemanna the whose mirabile purity of the architectonic lines today represents the highest expression of the gotica art in the area of the Mediterranean, that one of Saint Francisco d' Assisi in the 1254 became rich of new churches and between this Saint whose characteristic gotiche apses will be immortalate in a painting of Antonello from Messina: the Mercy with three Angels. There was to rifiorire of the literature with the messinesi poets Guido and Oddo of the Columns, Mazzeo di Rico, Stefano di Proto. The city, but, with Federico II of Svevia had to submit to some restrictions, for this was rebelled with the putsch of 1233.

The heroic resistance of Messina in the war of Vespro (1282), together with the other sicialian cities with in Palermo head, concurred, after the battle of the Hill of the Caperrina, the liberation of the Island from the Angioini that, at first, had been received favorably from the population. Carl D' Angiò furiously besieged it and he bombed it incessantly but to the end, 26 December 1282, had to ripassare the Strait and to be withdrawn.

During the Sicialian Vespri also the women fought courageous and valorosamente, between these the messinesi Dina and Clarenza (the two figures on the Bell tower of the Dome strike the quarters and the hours) that they distinguished themselves for their eroismo. For intercessione of the SS. Vergine (therefore wants the popular imagination), a Vascelluzzo " u vascidduzzu " loaded with grain, landed in the Port of Messina feeding the stremata population and on the hill it rose, after the flight in circle of one dove, the Sanctuary of Montalto . Peter of Aragon, looked at itself smoothed the road and, after the liberation of the Island from the Angioini, he encircled the crown of Sicily.

The Aragonese domination of sanctioned fact with the peace of Caltabellotta of 1302 very soon was invischiata in the feudali fights that will carry to the superpower of the barons and that they will influence all negatively the political history, social and economic of the Sicily.

To the beginning of XV the Messina century it is the most vital city, in this period is a lot prospers to mint own currency with its mint, is to pullulare of bankers; its arsenal therefore is equipped to be able to receive the commission to construct one fleet against the offensive of the tunisini; the typographical industry expresses names of relief in the art of the press.

It was in this climate of pr0sperity that the express city its wide social breath, economic and, above all, cultural, through the work and the figure of Antonello .

The city, therefore like the entroterra constituted from the Peloritani, touched the apex of the economic power in XVI the century; the serica industry rises to such dimensions that, upon request of above all from Tuscany setaioli of varied origin and veneti, it comes granted the institution of a "Consulate of the Silk" that confers to the Fair of half August a beam of European and Mediterranean gravitation.

Messina assumes a prominent role also in the cultural field: it comes founded the first University of the Sicialian Studies , which had been preceded from the institution of one school of Greek illuminated from the teaching Costantino Lascaris.

The economic pr0sperity carried to one restructure of the urbanistico system: to the entrance of the Port it came constructed the fort of Saint Salvatore , a new arsenal, the construction and the widening of works fortification building. Such fortifications, of particular relief during the domination of Carl V, will immediately encircle i impending necks on the city; still today, on the heights, it dominates the cinquecentesca fortress of the Gonzaga

Architects, scultori, artists come call to giving their contribution to you so that the power and the pr0sperity of the peloritana city have one they concrete image in the testimonies monumental buildings and (cosi are not more... hour, are not cosi... are the oblivion... others are the cities that fregiano of the title it of "art city"). The scultori G. Battista Mazzola, Antonello Gagini, Francisco Laurana, Giovanni Montòrsoli Angel, Andrea Calamech, Rinaldo Bonanno, Jacopo Of the Duca disciple of the Buonarroti, the scientist Francisco Maurolico, architect Simone Gulli (sublime "the its" considered Palazzata operate you between Rinascimento and Barocco the eighth wonder of the world), the architects and orafi Peter and Gregorio Juvara who constituted a familiar school from which the genius of Filippo Juvara between the most brilliant architects of the late Italian baroque bloomed the whose works have European relief, painters like Antonello from Messina, Michelangelo said Merisi the Caravaggio, the Dutch Van Houbracken student of the Rubens, Mattia Priests, Alonzo Rodriguez from Caravaggio; great intagliatori incisori and orafi like the Mangani, the Veneziano, the Junket and, still, Been born them Masuccio, Girolamo said Alibrandi the Raffaello from Messina in order to have collaborated with the great cinquecentista to Rome, the modenese friar teatino Guarino Guarini one of the great craftsmen of the Italian baroque. Splendid Messina! It was natural that your more famous Antonello son painted, on the background of its paintings, your sea, your landscape, your monuments...

In 1571 in the Port of Messina the Christian army was concentrated that, to the commando of Don Giovanni of Austria, Spanish prince (in Public square Catalan is placed the bronzea statue), prechosen from Devout V like commander of the naval fleet of the Saint Alloy, defeated to Lepanto the Turks. The city crosses a period of great pr0sperity tied to the several commerce of products that journey in its port, but above all to the export of the authentic silk flower to the eyelet of the messinese commerce.

Along all the forehead of the port it comes constructed the "Palazzata" a constituted longest and uninterrupted series of palaces that close the port with great scenografico effect. The city passed then under the Spanish domination and the wide municipal freedoms of which it enjoyed were appreciate the Spanish who considered them a threat for the same crown and, therefore, tried sopprimer them. This provoked one popular putsch against of they and in the 1674 messinese Senate decided to rebel to viceré the Bajona asking aid France; the messinesi, help you from the king Luigi XIV, that it sended to one fleet under the commando of Duquesne French admiral, will resist for four years but they had capitolare in 1678 also because, the King Sun, satisfied by now of the victories in the Europe North and the consequent peace of Nimega with Spain, abandoned Messina to its destiny. The vendetta Spanish he will be inexorable; of a inaudita violence the feracious repressions that vicerè the Benavides orders and many illustrious names (between this Filippo Juvara) are forced to abandon the city for the exile. The abolition to carpet of all will be put into effect privileges of which Messina godeva to begin from the Free port, sluice comes the University and the Mint and pulled down the Senatoriale Palace. All the fortifications will be widened with the competition of the German Nuremberg (1679-81), will be constructed to the "citadel" on the ruins of magnificent palaces and the beautifulst monuments that were the virtue and the splendor of the city.

Private of its political autonomy and administrative Messina for many years it saw to diminish its importance, then slowly resumptions, but it was hit from several calamities that of minarono seriously the same survival: in the 1743 bubbonica plague killed beyond 40.000 persons, in a 1783 earthquake (1200 victims) damaged it seriously (were destroyed nearly for entire the beautifulst Palazzata). But once again the inexhaustible force of will of the messinesi completes the miracle of one graduates them resumption repairing and reconstructing monuments and architectonic works.

Also the Palazzata comes reconstructed, to leave from 1809, on neoclassico, intentional model from Giacomo Minutoli

Messina was hardly overwhelmed from the government of the Borboni that of it made a center military; it participated actively to the insurrectionary motions of 1820 and 1847-48. Between the messinesi patriots who mainly distinguished themselves for the freedom of the Native land there was Giuseppe the Flour political man and historical Italian who participated to the antiborbonico insurrectionary motion of 1837. After the explosion of the revolution of 12 January 1848 Giuseppe the Flour was elect deputy to the Room, went in diplomatic mission to the field of Carl Alberto to Valeggio on the Mincio, was minister of the instruction and the jobs publics, then minister of the war and navy and the Sicialian Government. Esule, after the repression of the sicialian revolution, to Marseilles and Paris, worked to the history of Italy from 1815 to 1850.

In the september of the 1848 city it was occupied from the borboniche troops to the commando of the Filangieri after a heavy strafing that had been ordered from king Ferdinand II who came then nicknamed "king bomb". In the 1860 Giuseppe the Flour then supported the shipment of Garibaldi in Southern Italy oing in Sicily with the assignment from part of the Cavour to try to push the Sicily to the annexation to the Piemonte. In the July the 1860 city was freed from the forces garibaldine guided from general Giacomo Medical to exclusion of the Citadel that resisted until March 1861. The piemontesi were revealed very soon get worse of the predecessori, the state treasury much esoso rimpinguava the cases sabaude impoverendo a population to the extreme of the forces, every attempt of protest came Barbarian suffocated, divenne indefensible also to be able to survive, the poverty and the misery by now gripped the Sicily and the emigration had become by now the only anchor of salvation for more decorous living conditions, consone to people who for millenia had known and made its the progressed civilizations more. After to have been seriously damaged from an other earthquake in 1894, completely it was razed to the ground from that most terrible one of 1908 with a contemporary maremoto from the destructive violence; they were available beyond 70.000 died. It was one of it gets worse disasters of the history and it cost, for those times, more screw human than one war

The earthquake had consequences also on the political and social plan: the Italian State, put to the test, revealed its weaknesses. The public opinion had to notice that a problem of the Southern Italy existed that, after the Unit, rather than to resolve itself was sharpened for the strong differences of economic development between north and sud.Il earthquake provoked repercussions of every kind: with being worried itself to the aid, in the anguish of the moment, a political debate, prolongedded was opened then in the time, that it invested the institutions, it gave concreteness for before the time to the "Southern Issue", put in cause the efficiency of the State, made to meet and to meet on a land of dramatic truth the two italie, that one of the South and that one of the North and that one of the Right and the Left.

The disaster was the first great test of the been born Italian State from the Renaissance. Reconstructed on the same place with great spirit of sacrifice and abnegation of the messinese people, it endured serious damages in the course of the second world war as a result of the heaviest aerial and land strafings. Once again Messina has been distinguished for the defense of the national freedom actively participating to the hunting of the Germans from the national territory with the forces messinesi partisans. The ally troops entered to Messina 17 August 1943, the Sicily had been freed, Italy still remained under the barbarisms fascist and nazi and still bloody days and of mournings had to come. 1946 see a new been born Republican State from the ruins of a war that in the Country leaves deep signs difficult to cancel and to heal. Messina is sure one of the Italian cities mainly hit, the resumption even though slow, he is constant. During the Conference of Messina of june 1955 the ministers of the CZECH proposed the institution of an European Common market and the regulation of the energetic resources in the European area. It was the first step towards United Europe; the European Countries in fact began to risentire of the political-economic superpower of two superpotenze USA and USSR, with the Conference of Messina the bases were jetties towards that political and economic cooperation that had to carry the European Parliament. Today the European Union is a truth by now consolidated and 1999 the year that sees only currency (the EURO) for the Countries of the Union. 16 January 1975 one strongly earthquake makes to shake my city, the sismografi calculates the intensity around to 8° the degree of the Mercalli scale, fortunately, also thanks to systems of antiseismic constructions, the city resists and only light damages are estimated to the things. Splendid Messina revives, with its wide and rectilinear roads and the wide public squares and its garden and its monuments restores to you with its ancient churches to testify of the largeness and its new palaces realize to you from architects of great reputation. We go to list the works more important than this period. The Palace of Justice, in neoclassico style from the doriche shapes, of architect Marcello Piacentini with on fastigio one quadrille in bronze and aluminum of architect Ercole Drei, over the portale of vestibolo the bronzea statue of the "Justice" of Arthur Dazzi. The Palace of the University of the Studies, neoclassico enriched from style decorations liberty, comes realized on plan of Botto architect, in the post-war period comes magnified with the additions operated from the architect Francisco Basile. The Palace of the Prefettura, of post-floreale taste with rinascimentali elements comes constructed in 1920 on plan of architect G. Bazzani who is planner also of the Church of Saint Caterina Valverde. The Municipal Palace, realized in 1924 on design of the architect Antonio Zanca, the busto bronzeo of Antonello from Messina that dominates large-scale of the vestibolo is work of Antonio Bonfiglio who with to the Sutera executed the sculptures of the fastigio. In Public square Town hall the Monument to the Fallen of the Great War with the arengario of G. Nicolini is placed. In 1914 it comes constructed to the Palace of the Province of the architect Alexander Reached on the area of the ancient church of Sant' Augustin of which they remain in the entrance hall modest remainders. The church of Saint Giuliano in constructed moresco style in the 1927 from the Sac. Ing Carmelo Umberto Angiolini author pure of the church of Saint Peter and Paul of the church of Saint Luca of Romanesque taste and of the church of S. Francisco di Paola. Destroyed from the earthquake of 1908, it comes constructed in the same place the Announced church of the Teatini, planned from the Ing. Barbarian Francisco in neoclassico style. The Sanctuary of Christ King from the sobria baroque line, intentional from Paino Archbishop, constructed in 1937, rises on the area of the ancient castle of Roccaguelfonia of which it still remains the octagonal Tower that in 1284 was the prison of Carl II of said Angiò the Cripple and on whose terrazzo it rests a bell that is between largest of Italy. E' be constructed, on the area of the ancient construction of 1295, the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Montalto. They come constructed, moreover, the Palace of the Mail of V. Mariani, the Palace of Customs of G. The Cascio, the Church of the reconstructed Saint Spirit on planimetry of the sec. XIII, the Bank of Italy di Cobolli Gigli, the Commercial bank them Italian of P. Interdonato, the Palace of the Chamber of Commerce of Camillo Glad Puglisi that it constructed also the Gallery Vittorio Emanuele III, with time in iron and glass, the Office of Internal Revenue of M. Cannizzaro, the Palace of the Savings and loan company Vittorio Emanuele di Basile and Mallandrino, the Archiepiscopal Palace of Fleres, the Church of the Carmine di Cesar Bazzani, the Sanctuary of Maria SS. of Pompei di Filippo Rovigo, the Church of S. Antonio of Padova di Letterio Savoia, the Harbor Master's Office, the Palace of the INA, that one of the INPS, the Palace of the Bench of Sicily di V. Vinci, the Palace of the Freedom of Viola and Samonà, in 1939 the Railway station work of Mazzoni architect. After little decades, once again, Messina must endure during the war the most serious offense to its furiously hammered artistic and monumental patrimony because and incessantly from the strafings of the Americans and almost is razed to the ground. The medal of gold to the military valor conferitaLe from the Head of the not hurt State adorns to Its gonfalone but lenisce the deep ones. Messina, heroic city. It's true! If it it had not been... the splendor of its monuments it would be but and the oblivion would not have cancelled it in order always from the cities that today are defined "of art". Messina repeats the gesta of those cities that more destroyed times, revived like from their same ashes. True E', little remains in monuments of its ancient civilization, and Greece and Rome; but the columns of a temple of Neptune, that they have resisted to the catastrophes, still resist the new time of the Christian Cathedral, but its Port joins property left at death of the ships strained to peak during the last war with those of the cartaginesi and Greek ships and roman and crusades and with those of Ruyter and of the Murat poor devil; but Antonello and Caravaggio smile sad from their sacred burlaps.  MYTHICAL CITY IN ITS ORIGINS WITH ITS MONSTER FRIGHTENING SCILLA AND CARIDDI, CHRISTIAN CITY WITH ITS MADONNA, CITY MORE TIMES DESTROYED AND ALWAYS RECONSTRUCTED, IT HAS LIKE SYMBOL THE LION THAT ROAR AND THOSE ROARS SYMBOLIZE THE VITALITY OF THIS WONDERFUL RACE.