This calendar (and the astronomical clock on an adjacent wall, not shown) was built in 1933 on the renowned bell tower next to Messina’s Cathedral. The tower was rebuilt after the December 28, 1908 earthquake, from which approximately 75,000 people died in a metropolitan area of 160,000 people. Measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale, the first shock occurred at 5:20 AM and lasted 37 seconds. It destroyed all but the entire city of Messina and was followed by a violent tsunami reaching more than 35 feet in height. Then, for the subsequent two and a half months, hundreds of aftershocks undermined the communities of northeastern Sicily and Calabria, as the African tectonic plate and the European tectonic plate collided at the Strait of Messina. More than a century later, the 1908 earthquake pervades Messina’s history and continues to define the city.
About the author
Allison Scola is founder, owner, and curator of Experience Sicily and the Cannoli Crawl. Named one of the experts for the 2019 New York Times Travel Show, Scola writes and lectures on Sicily and leads immersive tours and designs custom itineraries that delight discerning travelers. She has been featured on Rudy Maxa’s World with the Carey’s, America’s #1 Travel Radio Show and as the cannoli expert in the documentary Cannoli, Traditions Around the Table. Scola has lectured about Sicily at University of Pennsylvania, The New School, LIU Post University, Queens College, Westchester Italian Cultural Center, at high schools in the New York City metropolitan area, and at events in New York City.