Northeastern Sicily

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The Metropolitan City of Messina is located in Northeastern Sicily. This area is mostly mountainous, and hosts the Nebrodi and Peloritani mountain ranges. Several historic villages are located among the mountains, but this area is also known for its many seaside resorts and archaeological ruins. The most popular tourist destination here is Taormina.

Taormina

Taormina is a town located on the northeastern coast of Sicily, on the Ionian Sea. Founded in prehistoric times by the Sicels, the city later became an important Greek and Roman town. After a period of decline, the city developed again since the Late Middle Ages, and was already a tourist destination in the 18th century. Taormina is now one of the most famous destinations in Sicily, and features numerous historic attractions.

✪ Ancient Theater of Taormina

The Ancient Theater of Taormina (Teatro Antico di Taormina) is a large theater originally built by the Greeks in the 3rd century BCE. The structure was rebuilt by the Romans in the 3rd century CE, and was one of the largest theaters in Sicily. The theater is now a famous tourist attraction, and is sometimes used to host events. A small archaeological museum is located next to the theater.

Church of San Giuseppe

The Church of San Giuseppe is a historic church located in the center of Taormina. The church was erected in Baroque style between the 17th and 18th century, and features various elaborate decorations and artworks. The church faces Piazza IX Aprile, a square that houses a panoramic terrace with a breathtaking view on the coast around Taormina. Next to the church are also a clock tower and an ancient city gate.

Taormina Cathedral

The Taormina Cathedral (Duomo di Taormina) is the main church of the city. The church was built in Romanesque and Gothic style in the 13th century, and was later reworked. The cathedral features a decorated facade, and houses several artworks.

Palazzo Duchi di Santo Stefano

Palazzo Duchi di Santo Stefano is a historic palace in Taormina. Built between the 14th and 15th century, the building was erected in Gothic style, and features various elaborate decorations. The palace is now used to host cultural events and exhibitions.

Casa Cuseni

Casa Cuseni is an art museum in Taormina, hosted in a villa erected in the early 20th century. The museum houses numerous artworks, as well as historic furnishings and other objects. The museum is mostly dedicated to the period of time when Taormina was a major destination of the Grand Tour, a trip around Europe that many wealthy people took between the 17th and 19th century.

Isola Bella

Isola Bella is a tiny tidal island located just off the coast of Taormina. Known for its beautiful enviroment and clear waters, the island is now a nature reserve, and features a small museum dedicated to local flora and fauna.

Taormina Castle

The Taormina Castle is a castle located on top of a hill in Taormina. The castle was originally erected in the Early Middle Ages, and was later reworked, with the current structure dating between the 12th and 13th century. Now partly ruined, the castle offers a great view on the city and the coast.

Giardini Naxos

Giardini Naxos is a town located on the coast just south of Taormina. Founded by the Greeks in the 8th century BCE, the town was a small but important center and was destroyed in the 5th century BCE. The current town developed in the Late Middle Ages, and it is now one of the most popular summer destinations in the area.

Archaeological Park of Naxos

The Archaeological Park of Naxos (Parco Archeologico di Naxos) houses the ruins of the ancient Greek city of Naxos. The site features various structures of the ancient town, as well as an archaeological museum with various findings unearthed here.

Motta Camastra

Motta Camastra is a tiny town located among the mountains west of Taormina, in the Metropolitan City of Messina. The town is best known for its proximity to the Alcantara Gorges.

Alcantara Gorges

The Alcantara Gorges (Gole dell’Alcantara) are a series of natural gorges carved by the Alcantara river among the mountains of Northeastern Sicily, at the border between the Metropolitan City of Messina and the Province of Catania. The gorges are a popular tourist destination, and form a nature reserve.

Casalvecchio Siculo

Casalvecchio Siculo is a tiny town in the mountains of Northeastern Sicily. A town of ancient origins, it is best known for hosting a historic church in its territory.

Church of Santi Pietro e Paolo d’Agrò

The Church of Santi Pietro e Paolo d’Agrò is an ancient church located near Casalvecchio Siculo. The church was built by the Normans in the 12th century, and features a peculiar blend of Byzantine, Arab, and Norman elements. The external walls of the church are richly adorned with medieval decorations. A small museum is located next to the church.

Savoca

Savoca is a small town lcoated among the mountains near the Ionian coast of the Metropolitan City of Messina. Savoca is known for its medieval old town, and for being one of the sets where the movie The Godfather was filmed.

Convent of the Capuchins

The Convent of the Capuchins (Convento dei Cappuccini) is a religious complex erected in Savoca in the 17th century. The convent is famous for its crypt, which houses several well preserved mummies of local people dating between the 17th and 19th century.

Milazzo

Milazzo is a town located on a long promontory on the coast west of Messina. The town was founded by the Greeks around the 8th century BCE, and remained an important regional center throughout its history. Milazzo is now mainly an industrial center, but it also houses some interesting attractions. The town is also known for its port, which connects Sicily to the Aeolian Islands.

Cape Milazzo

Cape Milazzo (Capo Milazzo) is the northern end of the long promontory where Milazzo is located. This area is known for its gorgeous environment and clear waters, and also houses the medieval Sanctuary of Sant’Antonio di Padova (Santuario di Sant’Antonio di Padova).

Milazzo Castle

The Milazzo Castle is a historic castle located on a hill in the old town of Milazzo. This area was first fortified in the Neolithic, and was later turned into an acropolis under Greek rule. The current castle was erected by the Normans in the Late Middle Ages, and was later expanded. After being conquered by the troops of Garibaldi in 1860, the castle was turned into a prison. Now restored, the castle features some imposing fortifications, and can be visited. Part of the castle hosts the Milazzo Sea Museum (Museo del Mare Milazzo), a museum dedicated to the local natural enviroment. Next to the castle is the Duomo Antico, a 17th-century church.

Archaeological Antiquarium of Milazzo

The Archaeological Antiquarium of Milazzo (Antiquarium Archeologico di Milazzo) is an archaeological museum in Milazzo. The museum is dedicated to the history of Milazzo, and features many archaeological findings unearthed around the city.

Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto

Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto is a city located near the coast of Northeastern Sicily just south of Milazzo. Inhabited since ancient times, the modern town developed since the Late Middle Ages, becoming one of the main centers of the area. Now the second largest city in the Metropolitan City of Messina, the town houses some interesting attractions.

Basilica of San Sebastiano

The Basilica of San Sebastiano is the main church of Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto. The basilica was built in the 1930s to replace an older church, and was erected in Neoclassical style. The church features an elaborate facade, while the interior is richly adorned with artworks and decorations.

Nello Cassata Ethnohistory Museum

The Nello Cassata Ethnohistory Museum (Museo Etnostorico Nello Cassata) is an ethnographic museum in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto. The museum is dedicated to local culture and traditions, and houses ancient agricultural and industrial equipment, as well as various other historic objects.

Castroreale

Castroreale is a small town in the Metropolitan City of Messina, located among the mountains. The town developed since the Late Middle Ages, and features some historic attractions.

Castroreale Cathedral

The Castroreale Cathedral (Duomo di Castroreale) is a historic church located at the center of Castroreale. Founded in the Late Middle Ages, the church was reworked several times, and now hosts several decorations and artworks in Baroque style.

Montalbano Elicona

Montalbano Elicona is a small town located among the mountains of the Metropolitan City of Messina. Founded in the Late Middle Ages, the town is best known for its medieval castle.

Montalbano Elicona Castle

The Montalbano Elicona Castle is a medieval castle originally founded by the Normans, and later expanded in the 13th century, under the rule of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. Still well preserved, the castle has some imposing walls and towers, and now serves as a museum, hosting ancient weapons and musical instruments.

Patti

Patti is a town located near the coast of Northestern Sicily, between Capo d’Orlando and Milazzo. Now a tourist destination, the town is famous for hosting the ruins of the ancient city of Tyndaris and a few other interesting attractions.

Tindari Sanctuary

The Tindari Sanctuary (Santuario di Tindari) is a historic religious site erected on the ruins of the ancient city of Tyndaris. The church was founded in the Early Middle Ages, and was reworked several times. The current structure was only built in the 20th century, and inaugurated in 1979. The sanctuary is richly adorned with artworks and decorations, and it is now a popular pilgrimage site.

Archaeological Park of Tyndaris

Tyndaris was founded by the Greeks in 396 BCE, and remained for centuries an important town due to its strategic position near the coast. However, the city declined in the Early Middle Ages, and was later abandoned. The ruins of the ancient town are now part of the Archaeological Park of Tyndaris (Area Archeologica di Tindari), which includes the remains of an ancient theater, some temples, and a few other structures.

Laghetti di Marinello

The Laghetti di Marinello are a series of small coastal lakes located on the beach just below the hill of Tindari. This small lagoon is a now part of a nature reserve, which houses various species of plants and animals.

Villa of Patti

The Villa of Patti is a large Roman villa located near the coast in Patti. The villa, adorned with some mosaics, is large and elaborate, and was built in the 4th century over a previous building. Later abandoned, the villa was discovered in 1973.

Capo d’Orlando

Capo d’Orlando is a seaside town located along the coast of Northeastern Sicily. Inhabited since ancient times, the modern town emerged in the Middle Ages and has recently developed as a tourist destination.

Beach of Capo d’Orlando

Capo d’Orlando is best known for its long beach, which stretches for kilometers along the coast and attracts many tourists to the city each summer. Next to the beach is beautiful seaside promenade. At the northern end of the beach is a rock formation hosting a lighthouse.

San Marco d’Alunzio

San Marco d’Alunzio is a small town in the Metropolitan City of Messina, located at the northern edge of the Nebrodi mountains. Founded in ancient times, this hilltop village is known for its medieval old town.

Norman Castle

The Norman Castle (Castello Normanno) is a ruined castle located at the center of the old town of San Marco d’Alunzio. The castle was erected in the 11th century, and now only a few ruins of the ancient structure survive, partly surrounding the main square of the town.

Tusa

Tusa is a tiny town located on the northern slopes of the Nebrodi mountains in the Metropolitan City of Messina. This was once the site of the ancient city of Halaesa Archonidea, while the modern town was founded in the Middle Ages.

Archaeological Area of Halaesa Archonidea

Halaesa Archonidea was an ancient city originally founded by the Sicels, and later inhabited by the Greeks and the Romans. The city remained a small regional center for centuries, until it was abandoned in the Middle Ages. The Archaeological Area of Halaesa Archonidea (Area Archeologica di Alesa Arconidea) houses some ruins of the ancient town, including the agora and a theater.