Messina (; ,
Sicilian:
Missina; , ) is the capital of the Italian
province of Messina. It is the 3rd largest city on the island of
Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of more than 252,000 inhabitants in the city proper and about 650,000 in the province. It is located near the northeast corner of Sicily, at the
Strait of Messina, opposite
Villa San Giovanni on the mainland, and has close ties with
Reggio Calabria.