Saint Agatha’s Cathedral (Duomo)

Saint Agatha’s Cathedral takes its name from the “Santuzza” protector of the city, her feast day is on February 5th. It was built to the behest of Count Roger over the remains of a Roman building it’s called the “Achilliane Thermae“, whose ruins can be visited by going to underground, the Cathedral dates back to Norman times between 1078 and 1093.

For a faster construction, Count Roger ordered to be removed the needed lava stone from the amphitheater and the Roman theater of imperial times. From the original Norman building remains the structure of the transept, two broken towers, and three semi-circular apses.

It was completely destroyed by the earthquake in 1693, the cathedral owes its current “appearance” to the art of Vaccarini who worked on its reconstruction between 1733 and 1761. With its massive structure, the Cathedral has the characteristic contrast between the gray and white marble it’s used for the decorations, also dark gray plaster contrasts with the light limestone used to parastas, frames etc; the churchyard with the balustrade is adorned with statues welcomes the faithful; the Roman columns round the first and second order of the facade and the statues of St. Agatha complete the work.

It’s important to observe the marble lateral entrance made by Gian Domenico Mazzolo from Carrara in 1577 and part of the previous cathedral, which is used by Vaccarini as an element of continuity with the past. Through the door on the right side of the facade, you can access in the Terme Achilliane’s ruins.

Numerous arts is preserved in the Cathedral, among them is important give attention to the portal of right transept, dating back to 1545, and the fifteenth-century portal of the apse right chapel that leads to the “camaredda” (the room where is kept the St. Agatha’s treasure), historically important is also the fresco depicting the eruption of Etna in 1669 that it’s placed in the sacristy. You can also see the tomb of Constance of Aragon, who died in 1363, and a late Roman sarcophagus (third century A.D.), where are preserved the remains of several Aragon kings, and the tomb of Vincenzo Bellini.