Strait between Calabria and Sicilia, Italy
The
Strait of Messina
(
Italian
:
Stretto di Messina
;
Sicilian
:
Strittu di Missina
) is a narrow
strait
between the eastern tip of
Sicily
(
Punta del Faro
) and the western tip of
Calabria
(
Punta Pezzo
) in
Southern Italy
. It connects the
Tyrrhenian Sea
to the north with the
Ionian Sea
to the south, within the central
Mediterranean
. At its narrowest point, between Torre Faro and
Villa San Giovanni
, it is 3.1 km (1.9 mi) wide. At the city of
Messina
, it is 5.1 km (3.2 mi) wide. The strait's maximum depth is about 250 m (820 ft).
The strait has strong tidal currents that create a
unique marine ecosystem
.
[1]
The rock in the town of
Scilla, Calabria
at the north of the strait and a natural
whirlpool
in the northern portion of the strait have been linked to the Greek legend of
Scylla
and
Charybdis
.
[2]
In some circumstances, the mirage of
Fata Morgana
can be observed when looking at Sicily from Calabria. With its bottleneck shape, it is also a compulsory point of transit in the
migration
of many
bird
species.
In 1957, a 220
kV
overhead power line
was built across the Strait of Messina. Its
pylons
are among the highest in the world. This power line has since been replaced by a
submarine power cable
, but the pylons remain and are protected as historical monuments (see
Pylons of Messina
).
Bird migration
[
edit
]
The Strait of Messina is a focal point in the
migrations
of birds every year, who mainly cross the strait to reach their breeding grounds in northern Europe. Due to this form of bottleneck more than 300 species are recorded in the area, which is a major European hot spot for
raptors
, with a record of 35,000 in one spring.
[3]
Among them the
European honey buzzard
and the
marsh harrier
are the most frequent, and species like
Bonelli's eagle
and
Egyptian vulture
are less frequent but regular. In the coastal salt lakes of the Strait of Messina species like
glossy ibis
,
flamingos
and
black-winged stilt
stop to rest. The site is also favorable for observing
storks
. The
Monte Dinnammare
and the other
Peloritani
mountains overlooking the Strait are a natural theatre for
birdwatching
.
Marine life
[
edit
]
Due to its unique hydrogeological conditions
[
further explanation needed
]
the Strait of Messina has high levels of biodiversity and multiple
endemic
species. In its waters there is a strong presence of
deep sea fish
like the
Sloane's viperfish
which, due to the particular and peculiar currents of the strait, are occasionally found stranded on the shore at sunrise. The strait is also an important point of
migration
of many species of fish in the
Mediterranean Sea
.
Transportation
[
edit
]
A ferry service connects
Messina
on Sicily with the mainland at
Villa San Giovanni
, which lies several kilometers north of the large city of
Reggio Calabria
; the ferries hold the cars (carriages) of the mainline train service between Palermo and Naples. There is also a
hydrofoil
service between Messina and Reggio Calabria.
For decades, the possibility of building a bridge across the Messina Strait has been under discussion. In 2006, under Prime Minister
Romano Prodi
the project was cancelled.
[4]
On 6 March 2009, however, as part of a massive new public works program,
Silvio Berlusconi
's government announced that plans to construct the
Messina Bridge
had been fully revived, pledging €1.3 billion as a contribution to its estimated cost of €6.1 billion
[5]
Some 3.3 km long and 60 m wide, the bridge would be supported by two 382 m pillars, each higher than the
Empire State Building
, and accommodate six freeway lanes, a railway (for up to 200 trains a day), and two walkways.
Supporters perceive the bridge as an opportunity for job creation and potential for an increase in tourism to the island. Opponents see it as an ecological disaster, a structure at risk due to especially strong winds and earthquakes (the area having an intense seismic record), and a potential increase in Sicilian and Calabrian organized crime. Berlusconi claimed in 2009 that work would be completed by 2016 although in February 2013, the project was cancelled again.
[6]
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni revived the project with a decree in 2022, with the laying of the first stone planned for 2024; opponents of the project cited an estimate that of the 4.3 million birds that fly through the strait annually, between 17 and 46% risked colliding with the proposed bridge.
[7]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
Further reading
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
|
---|
History of Messina
| |
---|
Monuments and places
| |
---|
Personalities
| Actors
| |
---|
Artists and designers
| |
---|
Politicians, civil service, military
| |
---|
Musicians, composers
| |
---|
Religion
| |
---|
Sports
| |
---|
Researchers, academics
| |
---|
|
---|
Parks & nature reserves
| |
---|
Sport events
| |
---|
Transportation & infrastructure
| |
---|
|
|
---|
International
| |
---|
National
| |
---|
Geographic
| |
---|
Other
| |
---|