From the experiential tourism of the feluccas and Lake Ganzirri to the more purely cultural one with the visit to the Regional Museum of Messina and Forte Cavalli, passing with your nose in the air for the spectacle of the bell tower of the Cathedral at midday. And again, the discovery of the monumental complex of Cristo Re and the visit to Palazzo Zancaalso to meet and greet Mayor Basile in the iconic Hall of Flags for those who arrive in Messina from all over the world these days.
The second day of the “Meeting Tourism dello Stretto” allows over 20 buyers and tour operators to enjoy with deep admiration the works of Caravaggio and Antonello da Messina, but also the majestic sculptures of Neptune and Scylla by Montorsoli. Messina thus becomes an ever-new discovery, in which creative ideas and stories are added, such as those relating to the feminine and Marian iconography of the MuMe.
There are many strong points that Messina can showcase, like the noon of the Cathedral’s astronomical clock that stops time, even listening to the words of the Romanian journalist Dana Enache, editor-in-chief of the magazine “Viva!” and who writes in his Instagram bio “Open my heart and you will see Italy engraved inside it”: «I am in Sicily for the fifth time, but for the first time in Messina. I like it a lot and now I have some regrets for not coming earlier: it’s a wonderful city, I found a much more relaxed life than the one we live in big cities. The people are sincere, simple and welcoming, they know how to exploit the beauty of the sea and the lake and seem to have no problems, a great inspiration for those who get caught up in the stress of the big city. How will I describe Messina? Sharing the wonders of nature, elements that you don’t easily find in other parts of the world.”
Messina enhances and talks about its beauties and typical food and wine, represented by the tasting of the granita under the bell tower of the Duomo. Local businesses and tourist operators trying to network with the administration to show all the potential that the city of the Strait has.
In this sense, the thoughts of Svetlana Trushnikova, Russian but now Emilian (from Carpi) by adoption and founder of “Italy Ambassador Awards”, the first Italian award for influencers and content creators who promote Italy, are emblematic: «Many they told me “But what is there to see in Messina? There are much more beautiful places in Sicily” and instead I will tell them that they were wrong! A city full of ideas and which has the opportunity to use the airports of Reggio Calabria and Catania, an absolutely exploitable convenience. Our customers – Svetlana organizes tours for Russian tourists in Italy with the agency “Palomino Tour Travel company” – they have already seen big cities like Rome, Venice or Florence and now they are looking for lesser-known places, but more authentic and capable of offering unique experiences, such as that of the felucca. I was also struck by the story of those who have worked in the cultivation of clams all their lives with great dedication and living their own experiences, I also think of the women who work on the feluccas, it gives crazy emotions and then I have to compliment the cuisine. For me she is the best in Italy.”
