Misplaced Pages

#873126

85-521: The polyptych is signed in the cartouche visible on the step in the central panel. It was commissioned for the convent annexed to the church of Santa Maria extra moenia in Messina, also called San Gregorio, whence its modern name. The panels were originally connected by a carved frame in Neo-Gothic style, which was likely removed from as early as the 16th century. The work is in poor state. One of

170-512: A commemorative medal for 1908 earthquake assistance, struck in gold, silver and bronze. Several streets in Messina have been named after the Russian sailors, including Largo dei Marinai Russi. In 2012, a monument to the Russian sailors, designed by Pietro Kufferle in 1911, was installed in the city, and a bust of Emperor Nicholas II was opened in Taormina; a bust of Admiral Fyodor Ushakov

255-651: A fallen beam. Anglican priest and football pioneer Charles Bousfield Huleatt along with his family and other players of the Messina Football Club died. Composer Riccardo Casalaina and his wife perished alongside one another in their bed. Tenor Angelo Gamba who had performed on stage in Aida the evening before the earthquake also lost his life together with his wife and two sons when the Hotel Europa collapsed. The Hungarian soprano Paola Koraleck (who sang

340-630: A headwall scarp was visible on a bathymetric map of the Ionian seafloor. On Monday, 28 December 1908, at 5:20:27 an earthquake of 7.1 on the moment magnitude scale occurred. Its epicentre was in the Strait of Messina which separates the busy port city of Messina in Sicily and Reggio Calabria on the Italian mainland. Its precise epicentre has been pinpointed to the northern Ionian Sea area close to

425-590: A second wave of plague in the city. In 1783 an earthquake devastated much of the city, and it took decades to rebuild and rekindle the cultural life of Messina. In 1847 it was one of the first cities in Italy where Risorgimento riots broke out. In 1848 it rebelled openly against the reigning Bourbons , but was heavily suppressed again. Only in 1860, after the Battle of Milazzo , the Garibaldine troops occupied

510-618: Is a harbour city and the capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina . It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily , and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of more than 218,000 inhabitants in the city proper and about 650,000 in the Metropolitan City. It is located near the northeast corner of Sicily, at the Strait of Messina and it is an important access terminal to Calabria region, Villa San Giovanni , Reggio Calabria on

595-504: Is also part of the projected Berlin–Palermo railway axis . Since 2010, a suburban train service has been carried out along the Messina-Catania-Syracuse railway with routes serving the stations of Fiumara Gazzi, Contesse, Tremestieri, Mili Marina, Galati, Ponte Santo Stefano, Ponte Schiavo, San Paolo and Giampilieri. Messina's public bus system is operated by ATM Messina: starting from 8 October 2018, has reorganized

680-424: Is from right, and the tapestry behind the throne, which is not at the center. The upper level is instead optimized for view from below. There are also trompe-l'œil details, such as the saints' feet which apparently jut out from the step's edge, inspired by spatial innovations by northern Italian painters such as Andrea Mantegna . Also typical of northern European art was the attention to smaller details, including

765-587: Is home to a locally important international fair. The city has the University of Messina , founded in 1548 by Ignatius of Loyola . Founded by Greek colonists of Magna Graecia in the 8th century BC, Messina was originally called Zancle ( ‹See Tfd› Greek : Ζάγκλη ), from the Greek ζάγκλον meaning " scythe " because of the shape of its natural harbour (though a legend attributes the name to King Zanclus ). A comune of its Metropolitan City, located at

850-529: Is part of the regional tectonic feature known as the Calabrian Arc, an area of differential uplift deriving from the dynamics of the Ionian and South Tyrrhenian tectonic units, two of the lithosphere blocks of microplates recognized in the highly fragmented Italian portion of the Africa-Eurasia contact. Some of the strongest earthquakes of the last centuries occurred in the Calabrian Arc such as

935-747: The Holy Land for the Third Crusade and briefly occupied the city after a dispute over the dowry of his sister, who had been married to William the Good, King of Sicily . One of the major cities on Sicily, Messina was heavily involved in the rivalry between the Anjou dynasty in Naples and the Aragonese House of Barcelona . Initially a stronghold of Anjou support on Sicily, in 1282 the city joined

SECTION 10

#1732800917874

1020-563: The Messina Strait , a remarkable climatic difference for such a small distance. The new Messina Centrale station building was projected following the modern criteria of the futurist architect Angiolo Mazzoni , and is extended through the stations square. It is at almost contiguous with Messina Marittima station , located by the port and constituting a Ferry transport in the Strait of Messina to Villa San Giovanni station across

1105-476: The Ottoman Empire . They were officially recognised in 2012. Messina has a subtropical Mediterranean climate with long, hot summers with low diurnal temperature variation and consistently dry weather. In winter, Messina is rather wet and mild. Diurnals remain low and remain averaging above 10 °C (50 °F) lows even during winter. It is rather rainier than Reggio Calabria on the other side of

1190-526: The Province of Messina . A total of 293 aftershocks took place between 28 December 1908 and 11 March 1909. In 2008, it was proposed that the concurrent tsunami was not generated by the earthquake, but rather by a large undersea landslide it triggered. The probable source of the tsunami was off Giardini Naxos (40 km south of Messina) on the Sicilian coast where a large submarine landslide body with

1275-757: The Red Cross and sailors of the Russian and British fleets, search and cleanup were expedited. The Russian battleships Tsesarevich , and Slava and the cruisers Admiral Makarov , and Bogatyr , British battleship Exmouth and the cruisers Euryalus , Minerva , and Sutlej were ordered to provide assistance; the SS Afonwen was in Messina harbour during the quake (anchored in 45 fathoms (80 m) of water, but there were only 30 fathoms (55 m) when she sailed full of refugees). The French battleships Justice and Vérité , and three torpedo boat destroyers were ordered to Messina. Two battleships of

1360-454: The Strait of Messina . In 2021 the harbor of Messina was the busiest passenger port in Europe with over 8.232.000 passenger crossings in one year. The station is electrified and served by regional trains. For long-distance transport it counts some InterCity and ICN night trains to Rome , linking it also with Milan , Turin , Venice , Genoa , Bologna , Florence , and other cities. It

1445-614: The Studium Generale (the current University of Messina ). The Christian ships that won the Battle of Lepanto (1571) left from Messina: the Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes , who took part in the battle, recovered for some time in the Grand Hospital . The city reached the peak of its splendour in the early 17th century, under Spanish domination: at the time it was one of the ten greatest cities in Europe. In 1674

1530-555: The severe one in 1783 ; just the perimeter walls and apses remained standing. The Messina shoreline was irrevocably altered as large sections of the coast had sunk several feet into the sea. Houses, churches, palaces and monuments, military barracks: commercial, municipal and public buildings had all collapsed entirely or were severely damaged. Many structures were cracked shells, roofless, windowless and standing upright precariously. The Maurolico boarding school in Corso Cavour

1615-498: The 16th century Civic Hospital which fronted Torrente Portalegni was obliterated; the adjacent Via Porta Imperiale was struck particularly hard on both sides. The Torrente Bocetta zone also received severe damage. The 17th-century Real Cittadella , which guarded the harbour, was partially destroyed. Huge crevasses and fissures opened in the streets and these as well as the mounds of rubble, and falling masonry, hampered survivors who had fled from their razed homes to seek safety. Two of

1700-471: The 1783 and 1905 Calabrian earthquakes as well as the more catastrophic 1908 Messina earthquake. Records indicate that considerable seismic activity occurred in the areas around the Strait of Messina several months prior to 28 December; it increased in intensity beginning 1 November. On 10 December, a magnitude 4 earthquake caused damage to a few buildings in Novara di Sicilia and Montalbano Elicona , both in

1785-401: The 37-second main shock: the first shaking backwards and forwards, the second thrusting violently upwards, with the third moving in a circular motion. Most accounts concur that it was the second upwards motion that caused the widespread destruction in Messina; the accompanying noise described as having been "exactly like that made by a fast train in a tunnel". The elevated death toll was due to

SECTION 20

#1732800917874

1870-620: The British vice-consul, died instantly after being struck by a falling balcony as she attempted to escape through the streets with her husband, Alfred, and daughter, both of whom survived. Former US vice-consul and Messina correspondent for the Associated Press Joseph Pierce and his family were crushed to death when their damaged home in Via Porta Real Basso, close to the harbour, was brought down by

1955-479: The Earth's surface on the western, Sicilian side of the Strait. In 2019 researchers at Birkbeck, University of London discovered the active fault responsible for the earthquake. The study, led by Marco Meschis, identified the fault as the previously mapped but little studied Messina-Taormina Fault which lies off the Sicilian coast and runs the length of the Strait of Messina. The team used data from 1907–1908 to examine

2040-618: The Great at left and St. Benedict at right. The upper level depicts an Angel of Annunciation and the Annunciation , while a central panel, perhaps a Dead Christ Supported by Angels or a Deposition from the Cross , is lost. The general layout of the polyptych is rather traditional, such as the presence of gilt background. However, there is a series of more modern details which show Antonello's attention to novelties he saw or learn from

2125-458: The Italian mainland. The cities of Messina and Reggio Calabria were almost completely destroyed and between 75,000 and 82,000 people died, making it the deadliest earthquake in the history of Europe. According to Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology, the earthquake was caused by a large, low-angle SE-dipping, blind normal fault , lying mainly offshore in the Strait of Messina, between plates . Its upper projection intersects

2210-666: The Mamertines near Mylae on the Longanus River and besieged Messina. Carthage assisted the Mamertines because of a long-standing conflict with Syracuse over dominance in Sicily. When Hiero attacked a second time in 264 BC, the Mamertines petitioned the Roman Republic for an alliance, hoping for more reliable protection. Although initially reluctant to assist lest it encourage other mercenary groups to mutiny, Rome

2295-540: The Muro Carlo V and a number of 18th and 19th century houses in the ancient quarter of Tirone survived; additionally several houses in Via Fata Morgana and Via Giordano Bruno remained standing and are in use today. Although some of the dwellings (known as le mignuni in local dialect) located in the slum of Avignone also remained standing relatively intact, they have since been demolished. In Reggio Calabria

2380-525: The Palazzo Nesci was one of the few 19th-century structures to withstand the earthquake. The new city of Messina was constructed on the rubble of the old city using the plan of a modern layout of a "city regularly cut up like a checker board" with buildings of uniform size and height as presented in 1911 by architect Luigi Borzì  [ it ] (1853–1919). This necessitated the demolition of buildings that were salvageable but did not conform to

2465-646: The Reggio area and along the sea-cliff from Scilla to Bagnara. In the Calabrian commune of Palmi on the Tyrrhenian coast , there was almost total devastation that left 600 dead. Damage was also inflicted along the eastern Sicilian coast, but outside of Messina, it was not as badly hit as Calabria. The mesoseismal area was confined near the coast along a 1-to-4-kilometre-wide (0.6 to 2.5 mi) belt that shook and destroyed Messina and surrounding villages. Catania ,

2550-478: The U.S. Navy's Great White Fleet , USS  Connecticut and Illinois , along with supply ships USS  Celtic and USS  Culgoa also delivered succor. The American supply vessels including the tender USS  Yankton , buttressed with extra medical personnel and supplies from the battleship fleet, delivered supplies to help the refugees and remained on station giving medical aid. Other nations' ships also responded. The King of Italy later awarded

2635-472: The arrival of "Death Ships" from the East, which floated to shore with all the passengers on board already dead or dying of plague. Plague-infected rats probably also came aboard these ships. The black death ravaged Messina and rapidly spread northward into mainland Italy from Sicily in the following few months. In 1548 St. Ignatius founded there the first Jesuit college in the world, which later gave birth to

San Gregorio Polyptych - Misplaced Pages Continue

2720-411: The art treasures salvaged from the ruins). The Real Cittadella, Mategriffon Castle, Vittorio Emanuele theatre and Monti di Pieta remained standing but sustained considerable damage. The 16th-century Church of Ringo  [ it ] in the fishermen's quarter of the same name along the northern Messina riviera withstood the shock and survives to date. The "Scalinata Santa Barbara", large sections of

2805-669: The city rebelled against the foreign garrison . It managed to remain independent for some time, thanks to the help of the French king Louis XIV , but in 1678, with the Peace of Nijmegen , it was reconquered by the Spaniards and sacked: the university, the senate and all the privileges of autonomy it had enjoyed since the Roman times were abolished. A massive fortress was built by the occupants and Messina decayed steadily. In 1743, 48,000 died of

2890-480: The city to see a performance of Giuseppe Verdi 's opera Aida , which had been staged the previous evening at the Vittorio Emanuele II theatre. About ten minutes after the earthquake, the sea on both sides of the Strait suddenly withdrew as a 12-meter (39-foot) tsunami swept in, and three waves struck nearby coasts. It struck hardest along the Calabrian coast and inundated Reggio Calabria after

2975-410: The city and also the modern Messina tramway (at "Repubblica" stop, on station's square), opened in 2003. This line is 7.7 kilometres (4.8 mi) and links the city's central railway station with the city centre and harbour. The industrial plan provides for the purchase of about 66 buses in the three-year period 2020–2022 to improve the environmental performance and comfort of the fleet. Furthermore,

3060-683: The city blew up, entombing living survivors and the already dead. Fires broke out, caused by broken gas pipes, which added to the chaos and destruction. The ground continued to shake with repeated aftershocks causing remaining structures to topple down onto the ruins of demolished edifices killing and injuring rescuers and those who had survived the mainshock. Survivors described having seen horribly disfigured bodies and injured people badly maimed and screaming for help. Cobbler Francesco Missiani and his family came upon two dying girls, both of whom had suffered appalling head and chest injuries. Processions of naked survivors carrying pictures of saints appeared in

3145-540: The city of Pyxus . The city was sacked in 397 BC by the Carthaginians and then reconquered by Dionysius I of Syracuse . In 288 BC the Mamertines seized the city by treachery, killing all the men and taking the women as their wives. The city became a base from which they ravaged the countryside, leading to a conflict with the expanding regional empire of Syracuse . Hiero II , tyrant of Syracuse, defeated

3230-501: The city were concentrated in and around Via dei Monasteri (today Via XXIV Maggio), Via Casa Pia and Via Porta Imperiale; all of which were located in the historic city centre. In addition to the poorly constructed buildings, the widespread destruction in Messina and Reggio Calabria was due to the telluric movement having been so close to the surface. News of the disaster was carried to Prime Minister Giovanni Giolitti by Italian torpedo boats which set out from Messina to Nicotera , where

3315-431: The city. One of the main figures of the unification of Italy , Giuseppe Mazzini , was elected deputy at Messina in the general elections of 1866. Another earthquake of less intensity damaged the city on 16 November 1894. The city was almost entirely destroyed by an earthquake and associated tsunami on the morning of 28 December 1908, killing about 100,000 people and destroying most of the ancient architecture. The city

3400-519: The collision. The passengers descended into panic and the captain had to shoot in the air to calm them down. The ship was eventually rescued and arrived in New York. The disaster affected the local economy and Messina faced a temporary depopulation after so many homeless survivors had sought refuge elsewhere, in particular Catania and Palermo where a large number found work as artisans. It has been estimated that only 19,000 remained with just 2000 in

3485-501: The crown which the angels release on the Virgin's head are also allegoric: they recall both her virginal purity and the future martyrdom of Christ. 1908 Messina earthquake A devastating earthquake occurred on 28 December 1908 in Sicily and Calabria , southern Italy with a moment magnitude of 7.1 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI ( Extreme ). The epicentre was in the Strait of Messina which separates Sicily from

San Gregorio Polyptych - Misplaced Pages Continue

3570-491: The direction and size of the movements. Italy sits along the boundary zone of the African plate , and this plate is pushing against the sea floor underneath Europe at a rate of 25 millimeters (1 inch) per year. This causes vertical displacement, which can cause earthquakes. The earthquake was recorded by 110 seismographic stations around the world, and was one of the first to be recorded by instruments. The Strait of Messina

3655-402: The direction of General Francesco Mazza with all looters to be shot, which extended to survivors foraging for food and searching through the rubble for trapped family members. King Victor Emmanuel III and Queen Elena arrived two days after the earthquake to assist the victims and survivors. The disaster made headlines worldwide and international relief efforts were launched. With the help of

3740-478: The direction of Luigi Cavenaghi. This regarded, in particular, the side panels, including a restoration of lost parts basing on existing photographs (such as one of St. Gregory's hands). A new restoration was performed during 1940–1942 by the Istituto Centrale del Restauro of Rome, followed by another ( Angel of Annunciation panel) in 1981. In 2005–2006 there was a complete check of the polyptych, when it

3825-445: The doctors and nurses dead. The injured in the two cities had no medical support or medicine until outside relief arrived and hospital tents were set up. Telegraph lines were cut and railway lines mangled, making communication impossible. Most of Messina's officials were killed or gravely injured, along with almost the entire police force and soldiers of the garrison who perished when their respective barracks collapsed. Many officers in

3910-707: The earthquake – they included the domed medieval Church of the Santissima Annunziata dei Catalani , the Gothic Santa Maria Alemanna church, the Byzantine San Tommaso Apostolo il Vecchio church, San Ranieri lighthouse, Forte del Santissimo Salvatore , the 18th century Palazzo Calapaj-d'Alcontres, Giovanni Montorsoli 's Fountain of Neptune and the Barbera spinning mill (later converted to a museum to house

3995-443: The edifices within the zone which had remained standing after the shock. The ships that were still attached to their moorings collided with one another but did not incur major damage. Afterwards Messina harbour was filled with floating wreckage and the corpses of drowned people and animals. Towns and villages along the eastern coast of Sicily were assaulted by high waves causing deaths and damage to boats and property. Two hours later

4080-456: The fact that most people were asleep, and killed outright or buried alive in their beds, as their houses collapsed on top of them. Thousands were trapped under debris, suffering horrific injuries of which many would die. One week before the earthquake, 160,000 inhabitants were counted in the entire Messina commune . On 28 December, Messina was even more crowded than usual, due to the number of overnight visitors from outlying areas who had come to

4165-548: The few edifices to have survived the 1783 earthquake, was badly damaged. With the exception of one mansion, all the structures in its principal thoroughfare Corso Garibaldi were destroyed including the Cathedral , municipal buildings and palazzi. Only about 50 houses remained standing in Reggio. The civilian and military hospitals in Messina, and the civic hospital in Reggio Calabria all lay in ruins with nearly all

4250-751: The force of the waves created by the tsunami. Italians who died included sculptor Gregorio Zappalà , the Chief Prosecutor (Procuratore Generale) of Messina Crescenzo Grillo, Giacomo Macrì, former rector of the University of Messina, politicians Nicola Petrina , Nicolò Fulci and Giovanni Noè ; as well as local patriots of the Italian unification , members of the nobility, academia and literati. Socialist historian Gaetano Salvemini survived but lost his wife, five children and sister. The Questore (Head of Police) Paolo Caruso died in his office, killed by

4335-443: The garrison survived, their accommodation being more substantial. Prisoners who had escaped death when the prison fell began looting property and even robbing corpses of their jewellery. In Reggio an estimated 1,800 convicts died when the prison was destroyed. Peasants from nearby rural villages joined the looters. Troops were soon sent to Messina and martial law was declared by General Feira Di Cossatto. Rescuers searched through

SECTION 50

#1732800917874

4420-516: The homeless residents of Messina and Calabria were relocated to various parts of Sicily and other regions of mainland Italy. Others, including the majority of the survivors from the poverty-stricken Avignone quarter of Messina, resorted to emigration to the US. In 1909, the cargo ship Florida carrying 850 emigrants from Naples collided in a fog with RMS Republic . Three people aboard the Florida died in

4505-472: The largest city in eastern Sicily, did not incur notable damage. A young doctor who escaped with his life later recounted that "the profound silence was broken by an extraordinary noise like the bursting of a thousand bombs, followed by a rushing and torrential rain." Then he heard a "sinister whistling sound" which he likened to "a thousand red hot irons hissing in the water." Other survivors reported that there were three separate and different movements during

4590-404: The main thoroughfares Via Garibaldi and Corso Cavour were rendered impassable by the hillocks of rubble and debris 5 metres (16 ft) in height. Families had become separated and a torrential downpour of rain that had begun only minutes before the earthquake added to the confusion, impeding visibility along with the darkness and thick clouds of dust. The great gas tanks at the northern end of

4675-465: The mainland. According to Eurostat the FUA of the metropolitan area of Messina has, in 2014, 277,584 inhabitants. The city's main resources are its seaports (commercial and military shipyards), cruise tourism, commerce, and agriculture (wine production and cultivating lemons, oranges, mandarin oranges , and olives). The city has been a Roman Catholic Archdiocese and Archimandrite seat since 1548 and

4760-478: The narrowest section of the Strait, the location of Messina. It had a depth of around 9 km (5.6 mi). The earthquake almost levelled Messina. At least 91% of structures in Messina were destroyed or irreparably damaged and 75,000 people were killed in the city and suburbs. Reggio Calabria and other locations in Calabria also suffered heavy damage, with some 25,000 people killed. Reggio's historic centre

4845-531: The new urban plan. These included the Palazzata, Baroque San Gregorio church situated above Via Monasteri and the 18th century Chiesa delle Anime del Purgatorio located in Via Cardines and Largo Purgatorio. The latter church was badly damaged but principally in the apsidal section and was reparable. It was demolished to extend Via Garibaldi in a southerly direction. In the wake of the earthquake, many of

4930-416: The nineteenth century and was mainly the work of Simone Gullí . Most of the baroque buildings had been destroyed in the earthquake of 1783, and were rebuilt in neo-classical style in the early nineteenth century. It was the imposing neo-classical "Palazzata", with some of the surviving baroque buildings, that was almost entirely destroyed in 1908. The shaking was especially intense in the port area resulting in

5015-471: The offer of public transport, introducing a bus line (line 1 - Shuttle 100) which with a frequency of approx. 15 minutes, it crosses 38 of the total 50 km of the coast of the City of Messina. Thus, a comb service is created, with interchange stops at which the buses to and from the villages terminate, and with the tram which reaches a frequency of about 20 minutes. About 36 different routes reach every part of

5100-467: The old city center. However, there was soon a huge influx of migrants, mostly from nearby Sicilian and Calabrian localities who were needed as necessary labourers for the reconstruction. According to the 1911 census the population of Messina had increased to 127,000. Among these were many Messinesi who had returned to their native city. Men notably outnumbered the women which resulted in a decrease in marriages. As late as 2021, families were still living in

5185-466: The panel was removed in the 16th century or later, and in 1842 there was a drastic restoration of what remained. In 1908, the former convent where the work was destroyed by the 1908 Messina earthquake , leaving its art pieces exposed to the rain which fell in the following days. In that occasion, large parts of the Madonna's mantle and of St. Gregory went lost. Recovery interventions began in 1912, under

SECTION 60

#1732800917874

5270-425: The pattern of uplifts and subsidence observed in the Messina and Calabria area which bore a strong resemblance to those resulting from other powerful earthquakes triggered by normal faults. After comparing the direction and size of movements on well-known faults with the surface movements seen in Messina and Calabria, the researchers identified the probable active fault which caused the catastrophic earthquake as well as

5355-693: The pearls in Benedict's mitre , the brilliant cherries that the Child takes from his mother's wife, or the pearls in the rosary at the Virgin's feet. The fruit in Jesus' hands symbolize the original sin and (the cherries) the Passion of Christ . He also wears a pendant in red coral , an apotropaic amulet of ancient origins usually given to children, which also appears in contemporary works by Piero della Francesca and other artists. The white and red roses in

5440-412: The permanent displacement of the stone pavings in a "wave-like pattern". Damage was heaviest in the old historic centre and the low, level central and northern sections of the city due to the soft sandy soil; it was less severe in the mountainous western part as the structures were built on firmer terrain such as Gonzaga Fort which was unscathed and remains to date. The area between Cathedral Square and

5525-461: The relative safety of the seafront to escape their collapsing houses. The second and third tsunami waves, coming in rapid succession and higher than the first, raced over the harbour, smashed boats docked at the pier, and broke parts of the sea wall. After engulfing the port and three city streets inland beyond the harbour, the waves swept away people, ships that had been anchored in the harbour, fishing boats and ferries, and inflicted further damage on

5610-479: The rest of Italy. These include the spatial unification of the panels (as in the steps at the base of the throne, which continue to the side panels), the use of tempera grassa derived from Netherlandish and Catalan artists working in the Kingdom of Naples , as well as the psychological characterization of the characters. The polyptych was likely placed on a side wall, as testified by the observation angle, which

5695-536: The revolt of the Sicilian Vespers , resulting in the city being subjected to a major siege by Charles I of Anjou . Messina remained a major naval base for the remainder of the ensuing twenty-year War of the Sicilian Vespers , and was besieged a second time in 1302. In 1345 Orlando d'Aragona , the illegitimate son of Frederick II of Sicily was the strategos of Messina. In 1347 Messina

5780-451: The role of Aida) was lying awake when the earthquake struck. She leapt from a window of the damaged Hotel Trinacria, breaking both arms in the fall. The earthquake wrecked the commercial section along Messina's Corso Vittorio Emanuele that skirted the seafront which included the elegant "Palazzata". This was a long sequence of grand buildings that fronted the sickle-shaped harbour. The "Palazzata" had originally been built in baroque style in

5865-496: The ruins for weeks, and whole families were still being pulled out alive days following the earthquake, but thousands remained buried beneath the rubble, their bodies never recovered. Buildings in Messina had not been constructed for earthquake resistance, having been built out of small stones and carelessly-applied mortar with heavy tiled roofs, ornamental cornices, unsupported cross beams and vulnerable foundations on soft soil. Many had four or five storeys. The most populous areas in

5950-405: The sea had receded 70 metres (230 ft) from the shore. The entire Reggio seafront was destroyed and people who had gathered there perished. Nearby Villa San Giovanni was also badly hit. Along the coast between Lazzaro and Pellaro , houses and a railway bridge were washed away. In Messina, the tsunami also caused more devastation and deaths; many of the survivors of the earthquake had fled to

6035-428: The southern entrance of the Strait of Messina , is to this day called 'Scaletta Zanclea'. Solinus wrote that the city of Metauros was established by people from Zancle. In the early 5th century BC Anaxilas of Rhegium renamed it Messene ( Μεσσήνη ) in honour of the Greek city Messene (See also List of traditional Greek place names ). Later, Micythus was the ruler of Rhegium and Zancle, and he also founded

6120-406: The streets. People searched with bare hands through the debris for trapped loved ones. Rescuers at the scene managed to save some people clinging precariously to gaping upper storeys, windows and teetering balconies by using ropes to pull them to safety. Similar scenes of destruction were replicated in Reggio Calabria. Its historical centre was eradicated and the monumental Aragonese Castle , one of

6205-503: The telegraph lines were still working, but that was not accomplished until midnight at the end of the day. Rail lines in the area had been destroyed, often along with the railway stations. Pope Pius X filled the Apostolic Palace with refugees. The Italian navy and army responded and began searching, treating the injured, providing food and water, and evacuating refugees (as did every ship). Giolitti imposed martial law under

6290-462: The tsunami struck Malta , rushing into Marsamxett Harbour and damaging property in Msida . About 2,000 people were killed by the tsunami in Messina on the eastern coast of Sicily, and in Reggio Calabria and its coastal environs. Messina lost almost half its population and the entire historical city centre was devastated including its Norman cathedral, which had withstood previous earthquakes such as

6375-566: The wooden barracks in zones known as Baraccopoli which were erected in 1909 to provide temporary housing for the homeless survivors. Because of its dearth of historical buildings due to the catastrophic 1908 earthquake, as well as the 1943 Allied bombardment during World War II , Messina has been called "the city without memory". Messina Messina ( / m ɛ ˈ s iː n ə / mess- EE -nə , US also / m ɪ ˈ -/ miss- ; Italian: [mesˈsiːna] ; Sicilian : Missina [mɪsˈsiːna] )

6460-414: Was a prime target for the British and American air forces, which dropped some 6,500 tons of bombs in the span of a few months. These raids destroyed one-third of the city, and caused 854 deaths among the population. The city was awarded a Gold Medal of Military Valor and one for Civil Valor by the Italian government in memory of the event and the subsequent effort of reconstruction. In June 1955 Messina

6545-414: Was almost completely eradicated. The number of casualties is based on the 1901 and 1911 census data. It was the most destructive earthquake ever to strike Europe. The ground shook for 37 seconds, and the damage was widespread, with destruction felt over a 4,300 km (1,700 sq mi) area. In Calabria, the ground shook violently from Scilla to south of Reggio, provoking landslides inland in

6630-621: Was exhibited at the Quirinal Palace . Some details, which had been covered by later repaintings and restorations, were recovered: they include the original decoration with vegetable motifs of Mary's mantle (originally completed by a gilt decoration, now lost). Five of the original panels in the polyptych, on two levels, survive. The lower level shows, at the center, the Madonna of the Rosary Enthroned , flanked by St. Gregory

6715-521: Was largely rebuilt in the following year. However, thousands of residents displaced by the earthquake lived in shanty towns outside the city until the late 1930s, when further reconstruction finally commenced. It incurred further damage from the massive Allied air bombardments of 1943; before and during the Allied invasion of Sicily . Messina, owing to its strategic importance as a transit point for Axis troops and supplies sent to Sicily from mainland Italy,

6800-425: Was one of the first points of entry for the black death into Western Europe. Genoese galleys travelling from the infected city of Kaffa carried plague into the Messina ports. Kaffa had been infected via Asian trade routes and the siege of Kaffa from infected Mongol armies led by Janibeg ; it was a departure point for many Italian merchants who fled the city to Sicily. Contemporary accounts from Messina tell of

6885-498: Was pulverised, burying the students. A total of 348 railway workers were killed when the two railway stations crumbled. The American consulate fronting the harbour was reduced to a pile of rubble; the British consulate sustained little outward damage with its flag still flying, but the interior was completely wrecked. American consul Arthur S. Cheney and his wife Laura were killed. The French consul and his children also lost their lives, although his wife escaped. Ethel Ogston, wife of

6970-465: Was set up in 2013. When the reconstruction of Messina began from 1909, authorities mandated architecture able to withstand earthquakes of variable magnitude. Initially, a plan was adopted to demolish the remaining structures of Messina and to transfer the city and its port elsewhere in Sicily, but strong protests from the Messinesi led to the discarding of this suggestion. A few structures survived

7055-741: Was the base of Sextus Pompeius , during his war against Octavian . After the fall of the Western Roman Empire the city was successively ruled by Goths from 476, then by the Byzantine Empire in 535, by the Arabs in 842, and in 1061 by the Norman brothers Robert Guiscard and Roger Guiscard (later count Roger I of Sicily). In 1189 the English King Richard I ( "The Lionheart" ) stopped at Messina en route to

7140-610: Was the location of the Messina Conference of Western European foreign ministers which led to the creation of the European Economic Community . The conference was held mainly in Messina's City Hall building ( it ), and partly in nearby Taormina . The city is home to a small Greek-speaking minority, which arrived from the Peloponnese between 1533 and 1534 when fleeing the expansion of

7225-569: Was unwilling to see Carthaginian power spread further over Sicily and encroach on Italy. Rome, therefore, entered into an alliance with the Mamertines. In 264 BC, Roman troops were deployed to Sicily, the first time a Roman army acted outside the Italian Peninsula . At the end of the First Punic War it was a free city allied with Rome. In Roman times Messina, then known as Messana , had an important pharos (lighthouse). Messana

#873126