Messina: The Perfect Setting
Messina, a harbor city on the Italian island of Sicily, claims the 14th largest population in all of Italy ("Messina."). Sparkling bright blue heavens dotted with puffy white clouds fill Messina’s sky, and the aquamarine waters of the Strait of Messina in the Mediterranean Sea shimmer in the brilliant sunlight. Standing between sky and sea, classic 15thcentury coral toned houses, shops, and churches line the busy streets of Messina. In the 16th century, this vibrant town posed the perfect setting for one of Shakespeare’s most famous romantic comedies, Much Ado About Nothing, and with the play’s first performance in 1612, it became the place where Shakespeare’s heroic men found true love. However, the city of Messina was not just a beautiful town that encouraged people to fall in love, but was a place with unique and exquisite history, resources, and culture. Even though Shakespeare wrote Much Ado About Nothing at a time that many would consider to be very early in the history of the world, Messina already overflowed with ancient history. The Greek colonists Zancle founded Messina in the late 8th century BC. It followed the usual history of many towns in Sicily with …show more content…
Messina’s mild climate, ranging from an average high of 86.9 to an average low of 49.6, made it agriculturally profitable ("Messina."). The town’s soil hosted commonly grown Italian crops such as wheat, barley, citrus fruits, olives and grapes (Cartwright). In Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare mentions Messina’s orchards in the scene where Benedick overhears Claudio, Don Pedro, and Leonato speaking of Beatrice’s love. Not only rich in agricultural resources, Messina’s wealth also came from the sea. The strait of Messina abounded with fish and Messina’s natural harbor on the Mediterranean Sea made it an important trade
Messina, a harbor city on the Italian island of Sicily, claims the 14th largest population in all of Italy ("Messina."). Sparkling bright blue heavens dotted with puffy white clouds fill Messina’s sky, and the aquamarine waters of the Strait of Messina in the Mediterranean Sea shimmer in the brilliant sunlight. Standing between sky and sea, classic 15thcentury coral toned houses, shops, and churches line the busy streets of Messina. In the 16th century, this vibrant town posed the perfect setting for one of Shakespeare’s most famous romantic comedies, Much Ado About Nothing, and with the play’s first performance in 1612, it became the place where Shakespeare’s heroic men found true love. However, the city of Messina was not just a beautiful town that encouraged people to fall in love, but was a place with unique and exquisite history, resources, and culture. Even though Shakespeare wrote Much Ado About Nothing at a time that many would consider to be very early in the history of the world, Messina already overflowed with ancient history. The Greek colonists Zancle founded Messina in the late 8th century BC. It followed the usual history of many towns in Sicily with …show more content…
Messina’s mild climate, ranging from an average high of 86.9 to an average low of 49.6, made it agriculturally profitable ("Messina."). The town’s soil hosted commonly grown Italian crops such as wheat, barley, citrus fruits, olives and grapes (Cartwright). In Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare mentions Messina’s orchards in the scene where Benedick overhears Claudio, Don Pedro, and Leonato speaking of Beatrice’s love. Not only rich in agricultural resources, Messina’s wealth also came from the sea. The strait of Messina abounded with fish and Messina’s natural harbor on the Mediterranean Sea made it an important trade