Church of the Santissima Annunziata dei Catalani (Chiesa della Santissima Annunziata dei Catalani) Tours and Activities

Explore the historic city of Messina on a walking tour with a local guide that’s a great overview and orientation for first-time visitors. Learn about Sicily’s Arab-Norman heritage as you make your way from Cathedral Square to a series of churches, landmarks, and artwork, and hear stories from Messina’s fascinating past. Multiple departures are available throughout the day.

Discover northeast Sicily on a 6-hour tour of Messina and the Ionian coast. Hear informative commentary about the region from your guide and take in attractions such as Santuario della Madonna di Montalto, the Church of the Annunziata dei Catalani, and the Cape of Peloro.

Explore Messina’s top attractions on a 3-hour Segway tour. Led by a local guide, glide along the city's boulevards, passing the Messina Duomo, the Church of Santissima Annunziata dei Catalani and more. As you travel through each vibrant city square, learn how the area changed in the aftermath of the 1908 earthquake. After three hours of history, culture and sightseeing, your tour will conclude at its original departure point.

Explore Messina’s top attractions while in port in Sicily on this Segway tour. See the Messina Duomo, the Arab-Norman architecture of the Church of Santissima Annunziata dei Catalani and the Neo-Classical palaces that line the bustling squares. Learn about the earthquake that rocked the city in 1908 from your guide, as well as the story behind the area's reconstruction.

Make the most of your time in Messina, considered the coastal jewel of northern Sicily, on a half-day shore excursion ideal for first-time visitors. Tick off top Messina attractions including the Annunziarta dei Catalani Church, home to the famous Bell Tower and Astronomical Clock (Orologio Astronomico), and the Church of Christ the King. Plus, you’ll also visit the Museo Regionale Interdisciplinare (Regional Museum). Port pickup and drop-off are included.

Immerse yourself in the history and culture of the port city of Messina with this 1.5-hour walking tour. See some of the most important sights, including the cathedral's astronomic clock, Palazzo Zanca (the municipal building), the Land Registry Office, the Old Customs House, and the Chamber of Commerce.

Food holds a high place in traditional Sicilian society, but knowing where to find the freshest flavors takes local knowledge. On this foodie’s walking tour, leave the map behind and follow your guide through coastal Messina. Explore bustling markets and hidden back streets, and sample some of the speciality treats Sicilians love. Along the way, learn of the role food plays in Sicily’s cultural heritage.

Enjoy a day to the discovery of two wonderful locations of the Ionian coast: Messina and Taormina. Starting from Messina, drive for almost 50 minutes and reach Taormina and walk from Porta Catania – the Southern entrance to the town – towards Corso Umberto which is its main street. Here take the opportunity to discover the monuments, the wonderful squares with their views above Mt Etna and the coast and taste an authentic Sicilian cannoli or a delicious arancino. After two hours and 30 minutes in this unique location drive back towards Messina and admire the historical heritage of Sicily’s third-largest city visiting the monuments and the churches but also the natural beauties driving among the coast till Capo Peloro – the nearest point of the island to the mainland and also the best point of observation of the Strait of Messina. At the end of the tour, return to the departure point where the driver and the guide will say goodbye inviting you for a long second journey in Sicily.

Explore Sicily's finest cathedrals, fountains, monuments, and more with a private walking tour of Messina. With this tour, you’ll discover the fascinating history of the city of Messina, which was almost completely rebuilt after a devastating earthquake in 1908 and mass bombings during World War II. You’ll visit top sights such as the Fountain of Orion and Messina Cathedral, and get insider tips on the best way to spend the rest of your trip.

On this guided private walking tour, you will explore Messina, one of the most ancient cities of Sicily with its beautiful boulevards and imposing palaces. Walk through the streets of Messina and see some of Sicily's most excellent cathedrals, museums, and monuments.

The Church SS. Annunziata of Catalans was built in Norman times, between 1150 and 1200, on the ruins of the ancient temple of Neptune and probably of a later Arab mosque. Restored in the Aragonese era it was elevated to the rank of the royal chapel. In the last years of the 15th century the Catalan nation, who came to Messina in the wake of Peter III of Aragon, asked the Spanish crown to use the church. Since then it has been known under the current title of SS. Annunziata of Catalans. The earthquake of 28 December 1908 saved it by collapsing all the superfetations of the Baroque era and the factory bodies attached to the outside of the apsidal sector, bringing to light the primitive architectural structures that testify among other things the succession of the dominations that have occurred in the city over the centuries. Today the church is on a lower street level because, after the 1908 earthquake, the modern city was rebuilt on the rubble caused by the cataclysm.