The Strait of Messina

The Strait of Messina is a strait that connects the Tyrrhenian Sea with the Ionian Sea and separates Sicily from Calabria , therefore, from mainland Italy and from the continent .
Since ancient times, the Strait of Messina has always been a place full of charm and fascination that has contributed significantly to create the many myths associated with it, the navigation of the strait, in fact, had a very bad reputation in ancient times and really presents considerable difficulties especially for the swift and irregular currents. One of the myths is that of Scylla and Charybdis.

In this myth it is said that , one day , Odysseus and his sailors were sailing the strait between steep cliffs when they heard a scary noise. It was well known that there was giant vortex in the strait called Charybdis that sucked up ships. But there wasn’t another passage, so Odysseus tried to sail near the cliff to avoid the danger. But Odysseus and the sailors didn’t realize that Scylla, a six-headed monster, lived in a cave in the opposite cliff. Suddenly the monster grabbed six sailors and devoured them. After that, thanks to the commands of Odysseus, the ship came out of the strait, escaping Scylla and Charybdis.
Nowadays Scylla and Charybdis are the most famous ferries of the State Railways, serving in the waters of the Strait of Messina.