Messina Cathedral

Messina Cathedral is a Norman-era cathedral in Messina, Italy, with three apses and exterior walls of pale marble. The Gothic portal leads into a three-nave interior supported by tall columns and lit by colored windows.

The bishop laid the first stone in 1160, and the building was consecrated in 1197 in the presence of Emperor Henry VI. Earthquakes in the eighteenth and twentieth centuries destroyed large sections of the structure, which were then rebuilt.

The golden Madonna wearing her seventeenth-century mantle draws worshippers who gather before the statue each day. Visitors can walk through the side chapels where locals often pause to light a candle or pray quietly.

The building opens its doors daily for visitors who wish to see the interior and the bell tower with its astronomical clock. Guided tours explain details about the architecture and the artworks displayed in the side chapels.

The bell tower houses the largest astronomical clock in the world, installed in 1933 by the Ungerer company of Strasbourg. Every noon, mechanical figures move across the dial and perform short scenes from the city's history.

Location: Messina

Architectural style: Gothic architecture

Accessibility: Wheelchair limited access

Website: http://diocesimessina.it/duomo

GPS coordinates: 38.19218,15.55539

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:27