Messina Favorites

Favorite thing: ...visit the beautiful city of Taormina. It is a beautiful mountain town from which there are beautiful vistas of the sea as well as
Mt. Etna. The ancient Roman Theatre is also a wonderful site to see while there

Fondest memory: All four of my grandparents were born in the Messina Province so it is a special place for me. Visiting the family homesteads
and relatives in the towns of Montalbano Elicona and S. Pier Niceto was especially meaningful to me.
The typical tourrist with no family ties to the area will be awed by the history of the area. One can see vestiges of
the many cultures that ruled the area over the centuries...Greek, Arab, Spanish etc.
If one is particularly adventursome visiting some of the hillside towns is like a trip back in time. For example
my grandfather's birthplace... Montalbano Elicona...about 60 kilometers from Messina proper, is a medieval town
with a restored castle of Frederick II. Strolling the town piazza during the afternoon 'passagiata' is also a treat.
Buy a gelato at one of the local sidewalk cafes and watch the townsfolk commune and enjoy a typical
Sicilian afternoon. My two sisters, our parents (aged 77 and 82) and I visited there in 1995 and did just that. The friendly
people stopped and inquired, as best they could, who we were related to in town. Apparently it is an honor to
have visitors from America.