Messina

On the Strait of Messina, with the Peloritani rising immediately behind the city. The urban area faces both the Tyrrhenian and Ionian sides through the strait, with Calabria visible across the water. The nearest larger natural landscape is the Peloritani range, but this cluster sits inside the continuous built-up area of Messina, a major port city with ferry terminals, a university, hospitals, and city services. Messina is known for the strait crossing, its port, and the earthquakes that shaped the modern city.