Messina: the dawn mirage of Fata Morgana

You are engaged in a tour of eastern Sicily with a stop on the Strait. Or you have decided to visit Messina in one day. Among Piazza della Repubblica, the fountain of Orion and the Cathedral, find a bit of time to reach the sea. Find a bit of time and you can admire the spectacle of Fata Morgana.

It happens particularly in the hot days, and in the summer of Messina there is plenty of occasions. Need to wake up at dawn, but it’s worth it. Head to the sea. And here you can see the city of Messina mirrored in the waters of the Strait, as if it was a submerged city. A phenomenon of refraction like a mirage.

In the past centuries travelers were amazed, fascinated by this phenomenon, narrating about it when back home. Describing arches, columns and towers that were accurately reflected in the sea. Probably the phenomenon was due to Palazzata (a line of buildings that framed the entire port of Messina) and, before that, to the old medieval walls.

A phenomenon so suggestive and evocative that popular tradition has given its interpretation: the mirage reflected in the waters of the Strait was the underwater city of Fata Morgana. One of the many shows to see during a trip to Messina.

Image source: Flickr.com/photos/francescobros