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I
am about myself to... to tell Messina, some features of its glorious and heroic
history that it does not have equal for the extraordinary vicissitudes
that in the course of the centuries are succedute and for tragic the natural
events that, unfortunately, they have it marked.
The
origins of the peloritana city are much remote, go back in fact to the 730 a.C.
when farmers Greek coming from from Calcide (the Eubea island) founded it with
the name of Zancle, from the Greek "scythe" for the arched shape of
its Port: penisoletta the Saint final Ranieri in the bastion of the Saint
Salvatore that, exactly, encloses it. According to Diodoro the name has had to
its foundation from part of Zancleo king of the Sicilian ones. Zancle, favorite
from its strategic geographic position, to the center of the Mediterranean, very
soon was developed founding in its turn other colonies (Mylae and Hymera between
the VIII and the VII century a.C.). Anassila, tyrant of Reggio, wanting to
extend its dominion on both the sides of the Strait, got hold of the city it was appropriated of the city and to the place of the Samis
and Milesi exiled Messeni installed you Zancle
assumed therefore the name of Messenion or Messene
in honor of the Messenia native land of Anassila.
The
two dictions are present both for some time in the coined coins to leave from
the 493 a.C..
In
the 427 a.C. Messenion had allied of Siracusa against the aims conquerors of the cartaginesis which with Imilcone (396 a.C.) they destroyed in part the
city that came freed and reconstructed nearly endured from Dionigi the Old one,
then was subject to Dione and, subsequently to Ippone, Timoleonte and Agatocle.
After
the dead women of Agatocle, the coming from Mamertini, mercenary soldiers from
southern Italy, with the tradimento, got hold of the city in the 288 a.C..
Defeats from Gerone II of Siracusa in the 265, the Mamertini before asked aid
the Cartaginesi and, therefore, to the Roman that freed Messana from I besiege
postole from Gerone II and i Cartaginesi. Such conflict was the first action of
the three Puniche Wars (264 - 146 a.C.) and that they will carry the Roman to
the conquest of the Sicily. Messana was proclaimed free and allied of foederata
Rome "civitas", free from pays of war and of granaglie and Cicero defined it the largest and richest city.
During
the wars you serve them, loyal with Rome for the rebellion of the slaves, was in
part saved from the ruberie of the preTauruses and propretori in particular from
those sadly famous of Verre, political man, partisan of Mario before and Silla
then, yields responsible of ladronerie and soprusi of every type.
Later
on it prospered still becoming an important and flourishing center trades them
and of most Association of Bologna politically
After
it makes you and the splendors of the roman age it continued before to having
great importance with the Ostrogoti and then with the Bizantini that rendered it
beautiful of monuments and Messina it enjoyed administrative freedom. Emperor
bizantino Arcadio, in the 407 d.C., gave a new coat of arms to them in
substitution of the ancient one gonfalone with the three towers, the
imperial mantle traversato from the cross of gold and name it
protometropoli of the Magna Greece and the Sicily.
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The aims conquerors of the muslim world prevailed, Messina was conquered
from the Saraceni and this involved one slow but progressive forfeiture; many
churches and Christian basiliani monasteri of orthodox ritual, constructed from
the Bizantini, came plunder and destroyed to you, some churches as the Announced of the Catalans came transformed in mosques.
With the Arabic domination of the Sicily, the city came fortified for being able
to be best protect from other invasions, such defensive works was therefore
imposing that, from the cartographies of the time, Messina city-fortress beyond
that will appear like one city-port. In this period economic politics were
illuminated and little esosa, the commerce increased always thanks to the
geographic position inasmuch as the immense economic world of the Arabs extended
from Spain to comprised Syria all the area of gravitante the Africa north in the
Mediterranean.
Innovations in agriculture, the peach, the mining extraction and, above all, in
the webbing and manufacture of the silk were introduced.
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With
the conquest of the Normanni, Messina was occupied in the 1061 from Ruggero II,
all the Sicily prospered so much in all the fields and in particular way in that
economic they trades and artistic. Free city, Messina is, in that period,
between richest and beautiful of the Sicily.
The
geographic position of the Strait mainly was valued, the city Door
of the Sicily , for its economic floridezza,
recalled coming from merchants from every part of Italy that was settled down to
you. They were I found to you outside them walls basiliani convents and
monasteri and ospitalieri places that dettero shelter during the political
fights, accommodated members of the reigning families and promoted the
agricultural colonization of the territories and practical for economic
activities which the breeding of gets worm-eaten, the webbing of the wool and
the silk. Between the famous monasteri that one of
Saint
Maria to Saint Mili Peter and, above all, that one of
Saint
Maria of commonly Goes called them " Badiazza
" in locality S. Rizzo on the Peloritani Mounts.
 
Reconstructed
and the beautifulst one of the Catalans was brought back to
the
Announced cristianità . To its Port
they called and the ships dipartirono of Are crossed to you directed in Saint
Earth; with the editto of Ruggero II Messina it had the title it of "Caput
Reigns" , the Consulate of the Sea that dirime the controversies
of commerce and navigation, its Mint mints currency for
all the Reign with proud maxim M.N.S.C . "NOBLE MESSANA SICILIAE CAPUT" (the
Mint to Messina operated until the 1678!)
In
that period, under the urbanistico profile, it occupies the arched river basin
that encloses the beautifulst Port and the
prospiciente area is dominated from the Real Palace ,
characterized from
the
Dome , the Arsenal ,
the Archiepiscopal Palace and from it
walls turrite that they include fortresses.
After
the dead women of Guglielmo II the Bond ends the domination of the Normanni in
Sicily. That to say? Beautifulst the
normanna Sicily , we see it today!
In
the Svevo period, with Enrico, the city obtained to YOU privileges of Free
port and increased its traffics trades them; Maria Alemanna the whose
mirabile purity of
the
architectonic lines today represents the highest expression of
the gotica art in the area of the Mediterranean, that one of Saint Francisco d'
Assisi in the 1254 became rich
of
new churches and between this Saint whose
characteristic gotiche apses will be immortalate in a painting of Antonello from
Messina: the Mercy with three Angels. There was to rifiorire of the literature
with the messinesi poets Guido and Oddo of the Columns, Mazzeo di Rico, Stefano
di Proto.
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The
heroic resistance of Messina in the war of Vespro (1282), together with the
other sicialian cities with in Palermo head, concurred, after the battle of the
Hill of the Caperrina, the liberation of the Island from the Angioini that, at
first, had been received favorably from the population. Carl D' Angiò furiously
besieged it and he bombed it incessantly but to the end, 26 December 1282, had
to ripassare the Strait and to be withdrawn. During
the Sicialian Vespri also the women fought courageous and valorosamente, between
these the messinesi Dina and Clarenza (the two figures on the Bell tower of the
Dome strike the quarters and the hours) that they distinguished themselves for
their eroismo. For intercessione of the SS. Vergine (therefore wants the popular
imagination), a Vascelluzzo "
u vascidduzzu " loaded with grain, landed in the Port of
Messina feeding the stremata population and on the hill it rose, after the
flight in circle of one dove,
the
Sanctuary of Montalto . Peter of Aragon, looked at itself
smoothed the road and, after the liberation of the Island from the Angioini, he
encircled the crown of Sicily. |
The
Aragonese domination of sanctioned fact with the peace of Caltabellotta of 1302
very soon was invischiata in the feudali fights that will carry to the
superpower of the barons and that they will influence all negatively the
political history, social and economic of the Sicily.
To
the beginning of XV the Messina century it is the most vital city, in this
period is a lot prospers to mint own currency with its mint, is to pullulare of
bankers; its arsenal therefore is equipped to be able to receive the commission
to construct one fleet against the offensive of the tunisini; the typographical
industry expresses names of relief in the art of the press.
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It
was in this climate of pr0sperity that the express city its wide social breath,
economic and, above all, cultural, through the work and the figure of
Antonello
.
The
city, therefore like the entroterra constituted from the Peloritani, touched the
apex of the economic power in XVI the century; the serica industry rises to such
dimensions that, upon request of above all from Tuscany setaioli of varied
origin and veneti, it comes granted the institution of a
"Consulate of the Silk" that confers to the
Fair of half August a beam of European and Mediterranean gravitation.
Messina
assumes a prominent role also in the cultural field: it comes founded the
first University of the Sicialian Studies , which
had been preceded from the institution of one school of Greek illuminated from
the teaching Costantino Lascaris.
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The
economic pr0sperity carried to one restructure of the urbanistico system: to the
entrance of the Port it came constructed the fort of
Saint Salvatore , a new arsenal, the construction and the widening of
works fortification building. Such fortifications, of particular relief during
the domination of Carl V, will immediately encircle i impending necks on the
city; still today, on the heights, it dominates the cinquecentesca
fortress
of the Gonzaga
Architects,
scultori, artists come call to giving their contribution to you so that the
power and the pr0sperity of the peloritana city have one they concrete image in
the testimonies monumental buildings and (cosi are not more... hour, are not
cosi... are the oblivion... others are the cities that fregiano of the title it
of "art city"). The scultori G. Battista Mazzola, Antonello Gagini,
Francisco Laurana, Giovanni Montòrsoli Angel, Andrea Calamech, Rinaldo Bonanno,
Jacopo Of the Duca disciple of the Buonarroti, the scientist Francisco
Maurolico, architect Simone Gulli (sublime "the its" considered
Palazzata operate you between Rinascimento and Barocco the eighth wonder of the
world), the architects and orafi Peter and Gregorio Juvara who constituted a
familiar school from which the genius of Filippo Juvara between the most
brilliant architects of the late Italian baroque bloomed the whose works have
European relief, painters like Antonello from Messina, Michelangelo said Merisi
the Caravaggio, the Dutch Van Houbracken student of the Rubens, Mattia Priests,
Alonzo Rodriguez from Caravaggio; great intagliatori incisori and orafi like the
Mangani, the Veneziano, the Junket and, still, Been born them Masuccio, Girolamo
said Alibrandi the Raffaello from Messina in order to have collaborated with the
great cinquecentista to Rome, the modenese friar teatino Guarino Guarini one of
the great craftsmen of the Italian baroque. Splendid Messina! It was natural
that your more famous Antonello son painted, on the background of its paintings,
your sea, your landscape, your monuments...
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In 1571 in the Port of Messina the Christian army was concentrated that, to
the commando of Don Giovanni of Austria, Spanish prince (in Public square
Catalan is placed the bronzea statue), prechosen from Devout V like
commander of the naval fleet of the Saint Alloy, defeated to Lepanto the
Turks. The city crosses a period of great pr0sperity tied to the several
commerce of products that journey in its port, but above all to the export
of the authentic silk flower to the eyelet of the messinese commerce.
Along all the forehead of the port it comes constructed the "Palazzata" a
constituted longest and uninterrupted series of palaces that close the port
with great scenografic effect. |
The city passed
then under the Spanish domination and the wide municipal freedoms of which it
enjoyed were appreciate the Spanish who considered them a threat for the same
crown and, therefore, tried sopprimer them. This provoked one popular putsch
against of they and in the 1674 messinese Senate decided to rebel to viceré
the Bajona asking aid France; the messinesi, help you from the king Luigi XIV,
that it sended to one fleet under the commando of Duquesne French admiral,
will resist for four years but they had capitolare in 1678 also because, the
King Sun, satisfied by now of the victories in the Europe North and the
consequent peace of Nimega with Spain, abandoned Messina to its destiny. The
vendetta Spanish he will be inexorable; of a inaudita violence the feracious
repressions that vicerè the Benavides orders and many illustrious names (between
this Filippo Juvara) are forced to abandon the city for the exile. The
abolition to carpet of all will be put into effect privileges of which Messina
godeva to begin from the Free port, sluice comes the University and the Mint
and pulled down the Senatoriale Palace. All the fortifications will be widened
with the competition of the German Nuremberg (1679-81), will be constructed to
the "citadel" on the ruins of magnificent palaces and the
beautifulst monuments that were the virtue and the splendor of the city.
Private of its political autonomy and administrative Messina for many years it
saw to diminish its importance, then slowly resumptions, but it was hit from
several calamities that of minarono seriously the same survival: in the 1743
bubbonica plague killed beyond 40.000 persons, in a 1783 earthquake (1200
victims) damaged it seriously (were destroyed nearly for entire the
beautifulst Palazzata). But once again the inexhaustible force of will of the
messinesi completes the miracle of one graduates them resumption repairing and
reconstructing monuments and architectonic works.
Also the Palazzata comes
reconstructed, to leave from 1809,
on neoclassico model from
the architect
Giacomo Minutoli
Messina was hardly overwhelmed from
the government of the Bourbon that of it made a center military; it participated
actively to the insurrectionary motions of 1820 and 1847-48. Between the
messinesi patriots who mainly distinguished themselves for the freedom of the
Native land there was Giuseppe La Farina political man and historical Italian
who participated to the antibourbon insurrectionary motion of 1837. After the
explosion of the revolution of 12 January 1848 Giuseppe La Farina was elect
deputy to the Room, went in diplomatic mission to the field of Carl Alberto to
Valeggio on the Mincio, was minister of the instruction and the jobs publics,
then minister of the war and navy and the Sicialian Government. Exile, after the
repression of the sicialian revolution, to Marseilles and Paris, worked to the
history of Italy from 1815 to 1850.
Il Duomo in una stampa
dell''800
In the september of the 1848 city it
was occupied from the bourbon troops to the command of the Filangieri after
a heavy strafing that had been ordered from king Ferdinand II who came then
nicknamed "king bomb". In the 1860 Giuseppe La Farina then supported
the shipment of Garibaldi in Southern Italy oing in Sicily with the assignment
from part of the Cavour to try to push the Sicily to the annexation to the
Piemonte. In the July the 1860 city was freed from the forces garibaldine guided
from general Giacomo Medici to exclusion of the Citadel that resisted until
March 1861.
The piedmontese were revealed very soon get worse of the
predecessori, the state treasury much esoso rimpinguava the cases sabaude
impoverendo a population to the extreme of the forces, every attempt of protest
came Barbarian suffocated, divenne indefensible also to be able to survive, the
poverty and the misery by now gripped the Sicily and the emigration had become
by now the only anchor of salvation for more decorous living conditions, consone
to people who for millenia had known and made its the progressed civilizations
more.
After to have been seriously damaged from an other earthquake in 1894,
completely it was razed to the ground from that most terrible one of 1908 with a
contemporary maremoto from the destructive violence; they were available beyond
70.000 died. It was one of it gets worse disasters of the history and it cost,
for those times, more screw human than one war
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It was one of
the worse calamities of the history
and it cost, for
that times, more human life of a war.
The first to come in help
after the disaster was the crews of the Fleet of the Russian
imperial harbor that were found in exercise to the breadth
of Augusta and with the ships Makaroff, Guilak. Korietz,
Bogatir, Slavic and Cesaretivc, to admiral Ponomarev's
command, they brought help to the messinesis, still saving
many bottom the rubbles you live, recovering in sea a lot of
morts. The czar participated with a help of 50.000 franchis,
in Russia a committee of help called Pietroburgo-Messina was
founded. In the occasion, the writer Russian Maxim Gorkij
wrote a book and the whole useful derivantis from the sale
to Messina were given for the reconstruction.This was a
tangible sign of brotherly and eternal friendship between
the Russian people and that messinese that, thankful,
layings on the façade of the Commune in Messina a marmoreal
plate in perennial memory of the received helps.
The earthquake had consequences also
on the political and social plan: the Italian State, put to the test, revealed
its weaknesses. |
The public opinion had to notice that a problem of the Southern
Italy existed that, after the Unit, rather than to resolve itself was sharpened
for the strong differences of economic development between north and sud.Il
earthquake provoked repercussions of every kind: with being worried itself to
the aid, in the anguish of the moment, a political debate, prolongedded was
opened then in the time, that it invested the institutions, it gave concreteness
for before the time to the "Southern Issue", put in cause the
efficiency of the State, made to meet and to meet on a land of dramatic truth
the two italie, that one of the South and that one of the North and that one of
the Right and the Left.
The calamity was the
first big test of the Italian State been born by the Risorgimento.
To the City of Messina
the gold Medal is conferred to the civil valor in date October 3 rd
1959 with the following motivation: "Noble and ancient city of
Sicily harshly tried from natural calamity and from war events, with
fearless tenacity and sublime abnegation from all his/her population,
twice risorgeva from the rubbles, maintaining fierce and intact her
love of Country."
Reconstructed on the
same place with great spirit of sacrifice and abnegation of the
messinese people, it endured serious damages in the course of the
second world war as a result of the heaviest aerial and land
strafings
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Once again Messina has been
distinguished for the defense of the national freedom actively participating to
the hunting of the Germans from the national territory with the forces messinesi
partisans. The ally troops entered to Messina 17 August 1943, the Sicily had
been freed, Italy still remained under the barbarisms fascist and nazi and still
bloody days and of mournings had to come. 1946 see a new been born Republican
State from the ruins of a war that in the Country leaves deep signs difficult to
cancel and to heal. Messina is sure one of the Italian cities mainly hit, the
resumption even though slow, he is constant. During the Conference of Messina of
june 1955 the ministers of the CZECH proposed the institution of an European
Common market and the regulation of the energetic resources in the European
area. It was the first step towards United Europe; the European Countries in
fact began to risentire of the political-economic superpower of two superpotenze
USA and USSR, with the Conference of Messina the bases were jetties towards that
political and economic cooperation that had to carry the European Parliament.
Today the European Union is a truth by now consolidated and 1999 the year that
sees only currency (the EURO) for the Countries of the Union. 16 January 1975
one strongly earthquake makes to shake my city, the sismografi calculates the
intensity around to 8° the degree of the Mercalli scale, fortunately, also
thanks to systems of antiseismic constructions, the city resists and only light
damages are estimated to the things. Splendid Messina revives, with its wide and
rectilinear roads and the wide public squares and its garden and its monuments
restores to you with its ancient churches to testify of the largeness and its
new palaces realize to you from architects of great reputation. We go to list
the works more important than this period. The Palace of Justice, in neoclassico
style from the doriche shapes, of architect Marcello Piacentini with on fastigio
one quadrille in bronze and aluminum of architect Ercole Drei, over the portale
of vestibolo the bronzea statue of the "Justice" of Arthur Dazzi. The
Palace of the University of the Studies, neoclassico enriched from style
decorations liberty, comes realized on plan of Botto architect, in the post-war
period comes magnified with the additions operated from the architect Francisco
Basile. The Palace of the Prefettura, of post-floreale taste with rinascimentali
elements comes constructed in 1920 on plan of architect G. Bazzani who is
planner also of the Church of Saint Caterina Valverde. The Municipal Palace,
realized in 1924 on design of the architect Antonio Zanca, the busto bronzeo of
Antonello from Messina that dominates large-scale of the vestibolo is work of
Antonio Bonfiglio who with to the Sutera executed the sculptures of the
fastigio. In Public square Town hall the Monument to the Fallen of the Great War
with the arengario of G. Nicolini is placed. In 1914 it comes constructed to the
Palace of the Province of the architect Alexander Reached on the area of the
ancient church of Sant' Augustin of which they remain in the entrance hall
modest remainders. The church of Saint Giuliano in constructed moresco style in
the 1927 from the Sac. Ing Carmelo Umberto Angiolini author pure of the church
of Saint Peter and Paul of the church of Saint Luca of Romanesque taste and of
the church of S. Francisco di Paola. Destroyed from the earthquake of 1908, it
comes constructed in the same place the Announced church of the Teatini, planned
from the Ing. Barbarian Francisco in neoclassico style. The Sanctuary of Christ
King from the sobria baroque line, intentional from Paino Archbishop,
constructed in 1937, rises on the area of the ancient castle of Roccaguelfonia
of which it still remains the octagonal Tower that in 1284 was the prison of
Carl II of said Angiò the Cripple and on whose terrazzo it rests a bell that is
between largest of Italy. E' be constructed, on the area of the ancient
construction of 1295, the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Montalto. They come
constructed, moreover, the Palace of the Mail of V. Mariani, the Palace of
Customs of G. The Cascio, the Church of the reconstructed Saint Spirit on
planimetry of the sec. XIII, the Bank of Italy di Cobolli Gigli, the Commercial
bank them Italian of P. Interdonato, the Palace of the Chamber of Commerce of
Camillo Glad Puglisi that it constructed also the Gallery Vittorio Emanuele III,
with time in iron and glass, the Office of Internal Revenue of M. Cannizzaro,
the Palace of the Savings and loan company Vittorio Emanuele di Basile and
Mallandrino, the Archiepiscopal Palace of Fleres, the Church of the Carmine di
Cesar Bazzani, the Sanctuary of Maria SS. of Pompei di Filippo Rovigo, the
Church of S. Antonio of Padova di Letterio Savoia, the Harbor Master's Office,
the Palace of the INA, that one of the INPS, the Palace of the Bench of Sicily
di V. Vinci, the Palace of the Freedom of Viola and Samonà, in 1939 the Railway
station work of Mazzoni architect. After little decades, once again, Messina
must endure during the war the most serious offense to its furiously hammered
artistic and monumental patrimony because and incessantly from the strafings of
the Americans and almost is razed to the ground. The medal of gold to the
military valor conferitaLe from the Head of the not hurt State adorns to Its
gonfalone but lenisce the deep ones. Messina, heroic city. It's true! If it it had
not been... the splendor of its monuments it would be but and the oblivion would
not have cancelled it in order always from the cities that today are defined
"of art". Messina repeats the gesta of those cities that more
destroyed times, revived like from their same ashes. True E', little remains in
monuments of its ancient civilization, and Greece and Rome; but the columns of a
temple of Neptune, that they have resisted to the catastrophes, still resist
the new time of the Christian Cathedral, but its Port joins property left at
death of the ships strained to peak during the last war with those of the
cartaginesi and Greek ships and roman and crusades and with those of Ruyter and
of the Murat poor devil; but Antonello and Caravaggio smile sad from their
sacred burlaps.
MYTHICAL CITY IN ITS ORIGINS WITH ITS MONSTER FRIGHTENING
SCILLA AND CARIDDI,
CHRISTIAN CITY WITH ITS MADONNA, CITY MORE TIMES DESTROYED AND ALWAYS RECONSTRUCTED, IT HAS LIKE SYMBOL THE LION THAT ROAR AND
THOSE ROARS SYMBOLIZE THE VITALITY OF THIS WONDERFUL RACE.
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