Messina, Strait of

Channel in the central Mediterranean separating Sicily from mainland Italy, joining the Tyrrhenian and Ionian seas; it is 32 km/20 mi long, and its width varies from 16 km/10 mi in the south to 3 km/2 mi in the north. In Greek legend the monster Scylla devoured sailors from a rock on the Italian shore, while another, Charybdis, created a whirlpool on the Sicilian side which sank ships. The classical hero Odysseus passed safely between them. The currents, whirlpools, and winds of the strait that gave rise to these and other legends in ancient times continue to hamper navigation.