The 5 castles of Messina: to make a small journey through time

We have already given the itinerary with what to see in Messina in one day: ideas and suggestions to use well the little time available to see this city on the Strait. If you spend a little ‘more time, we have another (excellent) suggestion, always one day, to take a little trip back in time: the itinerary of the castles of Messina?

The tour of the 5 castles

1. Castel Gonzaga. An imposing fort dating back to the sixteenth century, built on the hill of Montepiselli in order to be in a dominant position on the city of Messina. The castle has the shape of an irregular star and is surrounded by ditches: beyond the entrance, you can access several tunnels, and some stairs lead up to a terrace with a small chapel.
2. The Citadel. It can be reached by following the falcata area of ​​Messina. When it was built, around 1680 (although the works continued in the early part of the eighteenth century), at that time it was the largest and most impressive fortress in the whole of Europe. To build this pentagonal fortress with moats dug into the sea, an entire neighborhood of 8 thousand people was destroyed.
3. Rocca Guelfonia. One of the most famous castles of Messina. It stood on Viale Principe Umberto, where today there is the shrine of Christ the King. It was located in a dominant position on a hill near the historic center of the city, and it is thought that its foundation goes back to the origins of Messina itself.
4. Fort San Salvatore. It is located exactly at the end of the scythe of Messina. The name derives from the monastery of the Santissimo Salvatore that was founded by Count Roger in 1086. The construction of the fort occurred in 1546 incorporated both the monastery and the tower of Sant’Anna.
5. Lantern San Ranieri. The main part of the fort consists of the old tower, with two powerful bastions that extend towards the Polveriera gate.

The most beautiful places

We have told about Rocca Guelfonia and castel Gonzaga. Well, it is also two of the most beautiful places to see in Messina: during this trip, since history and culture exert an irresistible charm on you, why not take advantage of it to discover, for example, the Astronomical Clock and the cathedral of Messina?

The most beautiful beaches

History and culture, therefore, are the compasses of this holiday. A holiday that, however, should not make you forget one of the main attractions of the city on the strait: we are, of course, talking about the sea. So, do not miss the most beautiful beaches of Messina, to relax a bit ‘between an excursion and another.

Do you like castles?

If the answer is yes, on this island you will what you want. In addition to those of Messina, the castles of Sicily to see are many more and punctuate, like silent witnesses of centuries of history, a little ‘all this ancient territory: in this case, the route is much more challenging, 22 stages in all, but you can also divide it into four parts (north, south, east, west), so to discover the various castles little by little.

How to get

To take you on this journey back in time visiting the castles of Messina, or already thinking of seeing all the castles of the island, you must do something very simple: book a place on one of the ferries to Sicily.

Image source: Flickr.com/photos/vitomanzari