a town and seaport of Sicily, capital of a province of the same name, is situated at the N.E. corner of the island, on the Straits of Faro or Messina, here about 4 miles in breadth, 8 miles N.W. of Reggio, and 120 E. by N. of Palermo; Lat. (of lighthouse) 36° 18' N., Long. 59° 35' E. The appearance of Messina from the sea is very grand and beautiful. The town is built on the slope of a hill in the form of an amphitheatre, behind which rise mountains covered with dark forests, which heighten by contrast the beauty of the white buildings in the town. The greatest part of the town is built on the W. side of the harbour; the streets are broad and well paved with lava, and the houses are handsome, and in general two storeys high. The town is defended by walls and bastions, as well as by a citadel and numerous forts; so that Messina is reckoned a first-rate fortress. Among the principal buildings in Messina there are about 50 churches, the most remarkable of which is the cathedral, in the Gothic style, built shortly after the Norman conquest of Sicily. The nave of this edifice is supported by ancient granite pillars, which were formerly a part of a temple of Neptune. The altar and the roof of the choir are of mosaic work, and the pulpit is adorned with very beautiful carved work by Gagini, the Sicilian sculptor; but the general appearance of the building is heavy and tasteless. There are numerous convents and nunneries in the town. The palace of the viceroy is a very fine building, and has a large open space laid out in gardens and walks. Besides these, there are an archbishop's palace, senate-house, college, public library, hospital, lazaretto, two theatres, &c. The harbour of Messina, which is the best in Sicily, is formed by a narrow strip of land in the form of a sickle, which incloses it on all sides but the N., where there is an entrance about 700 yards in breadth. It is thus somewhat difficult of access, but when once entered, it is large and deep. Men-of-war can anchor in the harbour; while merchant vessels come alongside of the quay. The position of the town and the excellence of the harbour give Messina great importance in a commercial point of view. The exports of the place consist principally of oranges, lemons, currants, raisins, wine, brandy, oil, liquorice, sheep and goat skins; and the chief imports are cotton and woollen stuffs, sugar, coffee, hides, and hardware. The inhabitants are also employed to a large extent in the tunny, coral, and other fisheries. The principal manufacture is that of silk stuffs, especially damasks and satins. Messina was almost entirely destroyed by an earthquake in 1693; and in 1743 was visited by the plague, supposed to have been conveyed thither by a vessel from the Levant. Afterwards, in 1780 and 1783, the town was again exposed to the calamities of earthquakes, and on the last occasion was more than half destroyed; since which time it has been built in a much superior style. In 1848 Messina, along with the other large towns of Sicily, went with the popular party, and was bombarded by the Neapolitan fleet. After a bombardment of four days, in which a large part of the city was laid in ruins, it was compelled to surrender.

The province of Messina is bounded on the N. by the Mediterranean, E. by the Straits of Messina, S. by the province of Catania, and W. by that of Palermo; and is 60 miles in length by 30 in breadth. It is occupied in the interior by the mountain range which traverses the N. of Sicily; and though destitute of large plains, it has many valleys, some of which are very rich and fertile in wine, oil, and fruits of various sorts. Pop. of the town (1850), 97,074; of the province (1854), 380,279.