title: Province of Messina
text: # Province of Messina
  
  Messina (Italian: Provincia di Messina, Sicilian: Pruvincia di Missina) was a province in the autonomous island region of Sicily in Italy. Its capital was the city of Messina. It was replaced by the Metropolitan City of Messina.
  
  ## Geography
  
  ### Territory
  
  It had an area of 3,247 square kilometres (1,254 sq mi), which amounts to 12.6 percent of total area of the island, and a total population of more 650,000. There are 108 comuni (singular: comune) in the province , see Comuni of the Province of Messina.
  
  The province included the Aeolian Islands, all part of the comune 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 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) in elevation, and the Nebrodi, up to 1,900 metres (6,200 ft), which are included in a Regional Natural Reserve.
  
  Rivers of the province include the Alcantara and the Pollina, which forms the border with the province of Palermo to the west.
  
  ### Main communes
  
  The main comunes by population are:
  
  | Comune | Population |
  | - | - |
  | Messina | 246,951 |
  | Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto | 41,157 |
  | Milazzo | 32,600 |
  | Patti | 13,241 |
  | Sant'Agata di Militello | 13,026 |
  | Capo d'Orlando | 12,928 |
  | Taormina | 10,909 |
  | Lipari | 10,782 |
  
  ### Religious Feasts and tradition
  
  | 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 | Mistretta |
  | 19 March | Feast of Saint Joseph | Oliveri |
  | 19 March and Tuesday after Easter | Feast of Saint Joseph | Piraino |
  | 19 March | Feast of Saint Joseph | Merì |
  | last March Friday | Procession of SS Crucifix with the hodeeds blu "i babbaluti" | San Marco d'Alunzio |
  | Easter Friday | Procession of the "Barette" | Messina |
  | the 11-12 and third Sunday 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, Messina |
  | 29 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 August | Feast on the sea of the Saint Mary of Porto Salvo | Santa Teresa di Riva |
  | 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 |
  | 15 August | Feast on the Assumption of Mary | Novara di Sicilia |
  | 15 August | Feast on the Assumption of Mary | Messina |
  | first Sunday of September | Feast of the Madonna of the chain | Mongiuffi Melia |
  | 8 September | Feast of the Madonna of the Divine providence | Fondachelli-Fantina |
  | 7–8 September | Feast of the black Madonna of Tindari | Tindari |
  