The Metropolitan City of Messina (Italian: città metropolitana di Messina) is a metropolitan city in the autonomous island region of Sicily in Italy. Its capital is the city of Messina. It replaced the province of Messina and comprises Messina and 107 other municipalities.
With a population of 594,074, it is the 12th most populous out of the 15 metropolitan cities in the country. According to Eurostat in 2014, the FUA of the metropolitan area of Messina had 277,584 inhabitants. The nearby archipelago of Aeolian Islands is also administratively a part of the Metropolitan City of Messina.
Contents
History
It was first created by the reform of local authorities (Law 142/1990) and then established on 15 August 2015.
Geography
The metropolitan city borders with the Metropolitan City of Palermo (the former province of Palermo), the Metropolitan City of Catania (the former province of Catania) and the province of Enna. Part of its territory includes the Metropolitan area of the Strait of Messina, shared with Reggio Calabria.
It had an area of 3,247 square kilometres (1,254 mi2), which amounts to 12.6 percent of total area of the island, and a total population of more 650,000. There are 108 comuni (sing.: comune) in the metropolitan city.
The metropolitan city included the Aeolian Islands, all part of the comune (municipality) 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 metropolitan city include the Alcantara and the Pollina, which forms the border with the Metropolitan City of Palermo to the west.
Government
Municipalities
The metropolitan city has 108 municipalities:
Demographics
As of 2026, the population is 594,074, of which 48.5% are male, and 51.5% are female. Minors make up 14.0% of the population, and seniors make up 26.2%.
Immigration
As of 2025, immigrants make up 7.6% of the population. The 5 largest foreign countries of birth are Romania, Argentina, Morocco, Sri Lanka, and Germany.
Transport
Motorways
The metropolitan city is crossed by the following motorways (in Italian, autostrade):
Autostrada A18: Messina - Catania
Autostrada A20: Messina - Palermo
Railway lines
Messina–Syracuse railway