The Metropolitan City of Messina () is a metropolitan city in the autonomous island region of Sicily in Italy. Its capital is the city of Messina. It replaced the province of Messina and comprises Messina and 107 other municipalities.

With a population of 594,074, it is the 12th most populous out of the 15 metropolitan cities in the country. According to Eurostat in 2014, the FUA of the metropolitan area of Messina had 277,584 inhabitants. The nearby archipelago of Aeolian Islands is also administratively a part of the Metropolitan City of Messina.

History It was first created by the reform of local authorities (Law 142/1990) and then established on 15 August 2015.

Geography The metropolitan city borders with the Metropolitan City of Palermo (the former province of Palermo), the Metropolitan City of Catania (the former province of Catania) and the province of Enna. Part of its territory includes the Metropolitan area of the Strait of Messina, shared with Reggio Calabria.

It had an area of , which amounts to 12.6 percent of total area of the island, and a total population of more 650,000. There are 108 comuni (: comune) in the metropolitan city.Indicatore numero Comuni

The metropolitan city included the Aeolian Islands, all part of the comune (municipality) of Lipari (with the exception of Salina). The territory is largely mountainous, with the exception of alluvial plain at the mouths of the various rivers. The largest plain is that in the area between Milazzo and Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, which, together with Messina, form a metropolitan area of some 500,000 inhabitants, one of the largest in southern Italy. Much of the population is concentrated in the coastal area, after the hill towns have been largely abandoned from the 19th century.

The main mountain ridges are the Peloritani, up to in elevation, and the Nebrodi, up to , which are included in a Regional Natural Reserve.

Rivers of the metropolitan city include the Alcantara and the Pollina, which forms the border with the Metropolitan City of Palermo to the west.

Gallery

Government List of metropolitan mayors   Metropolitan Mayor Term start Term end Party Renato Accorinti10 June 201626 June 2018Suspended from office from 10 October 2017 to 8 March 2018.Independent (left-wing) 2Cateno De Luca26 June 201814 February 2022Independent (centre) Federico Basile16 June 2022IncumbentIndependent (right-wing)

Municipalities

The metropolitan city has 108 municipalities: Acquedolci Alcara Li Fusi Alì Alì Terme Antillo Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto Basicò Brolo Capizzi Capo d'Orlando Capri Leone Caronia Casalvecchio Siculo Castel di Lucio Castell'Umberto Castelmola Castroreale Cesarò Condrò Falcone Ficarra Fiumedinisi Floresta Fondachelli-Fantina Forza d'Agrò Francavilla di Sicilia Frazzanò Furci Siculo Furnari Gaggi Galati Mamertino Gallodoro Giardini-Naxos Gioiosa Marea Graniti Gualtieri Sicaminò Itala Leni Letojanni Librizzi Limina Lipari Longi Malfa Malvagna Mandanici Mazzarrà Sant'Andrea Merì Messina Milazzo Militello Rosmarino Mirto Mistretta Mojo Alcantara Monforte San Giorgio Mongiuffi Melia Montagnareale Montalbano Elicona Motta Camastra Motta d'Affermo Naso Nizza di Sicilia Novara di Sicilia Oliveri Pace del Mela Pagliara Patti Pettineo Piraino Raccuja Reitano Roccafiorita Roccalumera Roccavaldina Roccella Valdemone Rodì Milici Rometta San Filippo del Mela San Fratello San Marco d'Alunzio San Pier Niceto San Piero Patti San Salvatore di Fitalia San Teodoro Sant'Agata di Militello Sant'Alessio Siculo Sant'Angelo di Brolo Santa Domenica Vittoria Santa Lucia del Mela Santa Marina Salina Santa Teresa di Riva Santo Stefano di Camastra Saponara Savoca Scaletta Zanclea Sinagra Spadafora Taormina Terme Vigliatore Torregrotta Torrenova Tortorici Tripi Tusa Ucria Valdina Venetico Villafranca Tirrena

Demographics As of 2026, the population is 594,074, of which 48.5% are male, and 51.5% are female. Minors make up 14.0% of the population, and seniors make up 26.2%.

Immigration As of 2025, immigrants make up 7.6% of the population. The 5 largest foreign countries of birth are Romania, Argentina, Morocco, Sri Lanka, and Germany.

Traditions and folklore

date Feast City 6 December Feast of Saint Nicholas Saponara 8 December Feast of the Immaculate Conception Saponara 13 December Feast of Saint Lucy Santa Lucia del Mela 6 January living Nativity scene Montalbano Elicona 20 January Feast of Saint Sebastian Mistretta19 MarchFeast of Saint JosephOliveri19 March and Tuesday after EasterFeast of Saint JosephPiraino19 MarchFeast of Saint JosephMerì the 11-12 and third Saturday of May Feast of Saint Philip of Agira Limina 3 June Feast of the Madonna della Lettera Messina 3 June Feast of the Madonna della Lettera Itala 12 June Feast of the Madonna di Montalto Messina 13 June and following Sunday Feast of Anthony of Padua Milazzo 24 June Feast of Saint John the Baptist Castanea, Messina29 June Feast of Saint Peter and Saint Paul San Pier Niceto 2 July Feast of Our Lady of Graces Furci Siculo first Sunday of July Feast of Saint Maria Annunziata Merì first Sunday of July Feast of the Madonna of the saint water Valdina first Sunday of July Feast of Our Lady of Graces Naso second Sunday of July Feast of the Saint Guardian Angel Fondachelli-Fantina 16 July Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Roccalumera 25 July Feast of the Saint James Capizzi first Sunday of AugustFeast on the sea of the Saint Mary of Porto Salvo Santa Teresa di Riva first Sunday of AugustFeast on the sea of the Saint Sebastian Graniti 3 August Feast of the Madonna of Dinnammare Larderia, Messina 5 August Feast of the Saint Mary of the Snows Santa Lucia del Mela 9–10 August Feast of Saint Lorenz Frazzanò second Sunday of August Feast of Saint Lucy Savoca second Sunday of August Feast of Saint Sebastian Gaggi 14–16 AugustFeast on the Assumption of Mary Gallodoro 15 AugustFeast on the Assumption of Mary Messina 15 AugustFeast on the Assumption of Mary Novara di Sicilia first Sunday of SeptemberFeast of the Madonna of the chain Mongiuffi Melia 8 SeptemberFeast of the Madonna of the Divine providence Fondachelli-Fantina 7–8 SeptemberFeast of the black Madonna of Tindari Tindari

Transport Motorways

The metropolitan city is crossed by the following motorways (in Italian, autostrade): Autostrada A18: Messina - Catania Autostrada A20: Messina - Palermo

Railway lines Messina–Syracuse railway

See also Province of Messina Strait of Messina metropolitan area Railway network of Sicily Niceto Valley Niceto

References

External links

Metropolitan City of Messina official website