Zancle, meaning "scythe" because of the shape of its natural harbor (though a legend attributes the name to King Zanclus) is located near the northeast corner of Sicily, at the Strait of Messina, just opposite Villa San Giovanni on the mainland.

It is founded by Greek colonists in the 8th century BCE.

A comune of its province, located at the southern entrance of the Strait of Messina, is to this day called 'Scaletta Zanclea'.

In the early 5th century BCE, Anaxilas of Rhegium renamed it Messene in honour of the Greek city Messene (Greek: Μεσσήνη).