It’s neat to view the Ionian Sea from the front and Mount Etna from the back of your house. Then sometimes you remember that Mt. Etna is actually the largest active volcano in Europe and those amazing formations just off the coast were created by huge amounts of geothermal pressure forcing the rock up through earth and water. 
The history of the Sicilian people is marked by periodic geothermal disasters and few are more tragic than the story of the 1908 Messina earthquake. The earthquake lasted 30 seconds, hit 7.5 on the Richter Scale and was felt in a 180 mile radius. The earthquake itself and subsequent tsunami destroyed Messina, leveling over 90% of its buildings and killing over 100,000 people. It was the most destructive earthquake ever to hit Europe.
Coincidentally the Great White Fleet, the largest Naval Armada in the world, was cruising in the Mediterranean at that time. Upon receiving news of the disaster, Theodore Roosevelt ordered it to Messina. US sailors aided in extricating victims, and provided medical aid and food to the survivors. In addition, the US
Congress passed the largest appropriation in history up to that time to bring additional supplies and build emergency shelters for the tens of thousands of survivors. The 100 year anniversary of the disaster was in December.
Shannon and I visited Messina on a Saturday for one of our frequent day-trips. Messina is only an hour and a half from our house and although it has a 3000 year history, the earthquake has left little from antiquity. The Duomo was originally constructed in the 12 century but has been damaged by fire, earthquakes and most recently by allied bombs in WWII. That being said, it was an impressive space. Many of the original components to the church were reused to create a marble covered basillica with a 82 foot high ceiling and 24 columns. The most striking attribute is the wooden ceiling colorfully painted and gilded with biblical and historical 
scenes.Outside is the largest astrological clock in the world. It was original constructed in the 16th century and is close to 300 feet high. At noon the clock really puts on a show with moving parts symbolizing Jesus’ life, a roaring lion (very loud), and even depicting earthquakes. The whole show takes 12 minutes (I timed it) and ends with the playing of Ave Maria. It was very memorable.
