Messina
Messina is an unfortunate city on the northwest corner of Sicily. Actually, unfortunate doesn't begin to describe Messina's miserable luck. The invading Carthaginians destroyed the city over two thousand years ago. The city was rebuilt, and became a powerful port for Crusaders to stop in on their way to the Holy Land. Richard the Lion-Hearted himself stopped in here to gather his courage. But the good times stopped abruptly. In the 18th Century, a ship stopped in Messina carrying the black plague, ravaging the entire town. Devastating earthquakes leveled the town in 1894 and 1908, the second one destroying practically everything in sight. Two-thirds of Messina's population of 120,000 died from the 1908 quake. As a result, Messina's architecture stands apart from the rest of Italy's. Every building is short so that it won't topple if another earthquake hits.
Today, Messina struggles because it lacks that connection to the past that draws visitors to other Italian cities. The town tries to be tourist-friendly. In fact, the tourism office here is one of the best in all of Italy. However, smiling faces can only do so much, as most people who visit Sicily spend their time in Palermo or Taormina, using Messina only as a place to change trains and get a quick bite to eat.
Venice
Venice is known as La Serenissima, or the Serene Republic. One look around the city will help you understand why. At first you may not recognize the absence of sound that fills your ears. But then it hits you - there are no cars here. As you walk down the middle of the street, you'll marvel at the beauty around every street corner. It seems like the entire city has been lifted straight out of a painting. There is nowhere else in the world where earth and water exist together so freely, with neither element trying to assert its dominance. Couples from all over flock to the world's most romantic city.
Of course, the secret is out, and the throngs of tourists do detract from the city's pristine visage. During the summer, Piazza San Marco is teeming with people, so many in fact that it seems like the city will sink into the water that runs through it. In actuality, the city is sinking, at an average of five inches every twenty years. Unless something is done to keep Venice afloat, the city may join Atlantis at the bottom of the sea.
Because Venice's fortunes are tied so closely to the sea, it must be noted that Venice loses some of its charm in the autumn months, when high tides flood some of the best parts of the city, including the city's center, Piazza San Marco. On the hottest summer days, the water begins to smell, despite the city's best efforts to keep its waterways clean. However, do not let these small inconveniences distract you from all of the good things Venice has to offer. This is the one location in the world where the city itself is the attraction. You can spend an entire day walking around and sitting outside, stopping for lunch or some gelato, and not step foot in a single attraction. You will still be enchanted, having experienced the most picturesque city in the world.
Naples
Naples can be an acquired taste. Italy's third largest city is sure to conjure up strong feelings. For some it's an admiration of the city's authentic vibe, while for others it's a dislike for the economic disparity that exists here. Sophia Loren and Enrico Caruso are native Neapolitans, and the city is stubbornly proud of its image. One thing is certain; you will not leave Naples without an opinion.
Since late 1993, the city has sought to overcome its high crime rate by opening more museums and galleries, thereby attracting a cultured group of visitors and residents. The unconventional strategy is starting to pay off, as crime is down twenty-five percent. The resulting feeling of security has increased tourism by almost fifty percent. Naples feels like any other big city in the world, with no need to fear for your safety.
If Italy is the place to go for the best pizza and pasta in the world, and Naples is the best place to enjoy them in Italy, that would make Naples the pizza and pasta capital of the world, right? So bring your appetite!
If you have the time, try and take a side trip out to Pompeii, the ancient city buried by a volcanic eruption on nearby Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The opportunity to see a city frozen in time is rare, and well worth a visit.
|