Messinais a harbor city in northeast Sicily, Italy. Itis the capital of the ItalianMetropolitan City of Messina, andhas close ties withReggio Calabria. The city's main resources are its seaports (commercial and military shipyards),cruisetourism, commerce, and agriculture (wine production and cultivating lemons, oranges,mandarin oranges, and olives). The city has been aRoman CatholicArchdiocese and Archimandriteseat since 1548 and is home to a locally important international fair. The city has theUniversity of Messina, founded in 1548 byIgnatius of Loyola.
Messina has a light rail system,Tranvia di Messina, that was opened on 3 April 2003. This line is 7.7 kilometres (4.8mi) and links the city's central railway station with the city centre and harbour.
The city is home to a significantGreek-speakingminority, rooted in its history and officially recognised.
