3 Best Sights in Messina, Sicily

Though it's located across the Strait in Reggio Calabria, this fantastic museum delves into the shared archeological and geological history of these sister regions and is worth a visit. You'll find incredible examples of fossils from the Paleolithic and Mesolithic periods (including the fossilized bones of a Neanderthal child), tools from the Bronze Age, insight into the military organization of the Iron Age, and details of Greek settlements on both sides of the Strait. Don't miss the bronze Riace warriors, a pair of impressive statues that were cast about 460 BC and found in the sea in 1972. To get there, take a 30-minute hydrofoil from the Messina port (€6.50 round-trip,  www.blujetlines.it).

One of Italy’s most celebrated Renaissance painters, Caravaggio spent a good deal of time in Sicily toward the end of his life, while on the run after committing a murder in Rome. The artwork he left behind includes two on display at this regional museum. The scandal-prone artist is best known for his religious works, which utilize dramatic shadows and heavenly lighting. The two here are the highlight of the collection, though there are also some interesting archaeological pieces salvaged from shipwrecks and several works by Antonello da Messina.

This modern oversize Ferris wheel is very much a tourist attraction, but the views from the top, especially at sunset, are magnificent. You can see across the Strait to Calabria and on clear days all the way to Etna. At night, it puts on a multicolor light show that's made its way into many an Instagram story.