by an earthquake and the ensuing tsunami. Even now there are no tall buildings. You’ll want to see the Norman Duomo (Cathedral) initially constructed at the end of the Twelfth Century. Because of a fire during World War Two this magnificent building was rebuilt twice in the past century. MakeIf you are looking for a European tourist destination, consider the island of Sicily, a region of southern Italy. Depending on your interests, this beautiful area can be an ideal vacation spot. You can get classic Italian food, and wash it down with fine local wine. And parts of Sicily haven’t yet been discovered by tourists. This article presents eastern Sicily. A companion article presents western Sicily. Another companion article presents Sicily’s capital, Palermo.

We’ll start our Sicilian tour in the northeast corner at Messina on the Ionian coast and work our way south to Siracusa. The only time that we’ll leave the seacoast area is to visit Mt. Etna.

Messina is Sicily’s third largest city with a population of about 250,000. It was founded by the Greeks in the Eighth Century B.C. and like many parts of Italy changed often hands over the centuries. Some say that Messina was the port of entry for the Black Plague that decimated Europe during the Middle Ages. In the mid-Sixteenth Century St. Ignatius founded the world’s first Jesuit College, which later became part of the University of Messina.

In 1908 the city was virtually destroyed by an earthquake and the ensuing tsunami. Even now there are no tall buildings. You’ll want to see the Norman Duomo (Cathedral) initially constructed at the end of the Twelfth Century. Because of a fire during World War Two this magnificent building was rebuilt twice in the past century. Make

t yet been discovered by tourists. This article presents eastern Sicily. A companion article presents western Sicily. Another companion article presents Sicily’s capital, Palermo.

We’ll start our Sicilian tour in the northeast corner at Messina on the Ionian coast and work our way south to Siracusa. The only time that we’ll leave the seacoast area is to visit Mt. Etna.

Messina is Sicily’s third largest city with a population of about 250,000. It was founded by the Greeks in the Eighth Century B.C. and like many parts of Italy changed often hands over the centuries. Some say that Messina was the port of entry for the Black Plague that decimated Europe during the Middle Ages. In the mid-Sixteenth Century St. Ignatius founded the world’s first Jesuit College, which later became part of the University of Messina.

In 1908 the city was virtually destroyed by an earthquake and the ensuing tsunami. Even now there are no tall buildings. You’ll want to see the Norman Duomo (Cathedral) initially constructed at the end of the Twelfth Century. Because of a fire during World War Two this magnificent building was rebuilt twice in the past century. Make

to Siracusa. The only time that we’ll leave the seacoast area is to visit Mt. Etna.

Messina is Sicily’s third largest city with a population of about 250,000. It was founded by the Greeks in the Eighth Century B.C. and like many parts of Italy changed often hands over the centuries. Some say that Messina was the port of entry for the Black Plague that decimated Europe during the Middle Ages. In the mid-Sixteenth Century St. Ignatius founded the world’s first Jesuit College, which later became part of the University of Messina.

In 1908 the city was virtually destroyed by an earthquake and the ensuing tsunami. Even now there are no tall buildings. You’ll want to see the Norman Duomo (Cathedral) initially constructed at the end of the Twelfth Century. Because of a fire during World War Two this magnificent building was rebuilt twice in the past century. Make

e say that Messina was the port of entry for the Black Plague that decimated Europe during the Middle Ages. In the mid-Sixteenth Century St. Ignatius founded the world’s first Jesuit College, which later became part of the University of Messina.

In 1908 the city was virtually destroyed by an earthquake and the ensuing tsunami. Even now there are no tall buildings. You’ll want to see the Norman Duomo (Cathedral) initially constructed at the end of the Twelfth Century. Because of a fire during World War Two this magnificent building was rebuilt twice in the past century. Make

by an earthquake and the ensuing tsunami. Even now there are no tall buildings. You’ll want to see the Norman Duomo (Cathedral) initially constructed at the end of the Twelfth Century. Because of a fire during World War Two this magnificent building was rebuilt twice in the past century. Make sure to see the bell tower with its impressive mechanical clock. Near the Duomo is the Palazzo Calapaj (Calapaj Palace), which survived the earthquake. There is a Sixteenth Century lighthouse and several fountains worth visiting. Engineers and others may want to see the Pylon (actually two of them) which, when built in 1957, were the tallest pylons in the world. While they are no longer in use, the Pylon is classified as a historical monument.

The walled village of Castelmola with its ancient streets and spectacular view is only a few miles from the coast. Don’t miss it. Go to the ruins of the Thirteenth Century Castello Normanno (Norman Castle). It’s more than a kilometer above sea level and you’ll have to climb the path from the parking lot below. Actually there are two paths with two different views and if you can you really should explore both, one up and one down the mountain. What’s to see when you get to the top – the city of Taormina and the Ionian Sea to the east, the Tyrrhenian Sea to the north, and Mount Etna to the west. Castelmola also boasts a Cathedral and several old churches worth visiting.

Unlike Castelmola which has few non-