Messina is the capital of the Italian province of Messina. It is the 3rd largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th city of Italy, with a population of more than 240,000 inhabitants in the city proper and about 650,000 in the province. It is located near the northeast corner of Sicily, at the Strait of Messina, opposite Villa San Giovanni on the mainland, has close ties with Reggio Calabria.The city's main resources are its seaports, cruise tourism, commerce, agriculture. The city has been a Roman Catholic Archdiocese and Archimandrite seat since 1548 and is home to a locally important international fair. The city has the University of Messina, founded in 1548 by Ignatius of Loyola.