Basilica di Santa Trofimena, Minor basilica and former cathedral in Minori, Italy.
Basilica di Santa Trofimena is a neoclassical church in Minori, built from 1747 on the site of the demolished cathedral. Its Latin-cross interior has three naves divided by sturdy pillars, four per side, faced with marble and topped by composite capitals. The main facade faces the sea a few dozen metres away, with four niches holding statues of the evangelists Luke, Mark, Matthew and John, and a square neoclassical bell tower on its left.
Minori became a bishopric in 987, and a cathedral was built at the centre of the town. By the start of the 18th century the building had decayed, so the population decided to demolish it completely and rebuild. Work on the new church began in 1747 and ended in the early 19th century; since 1910 it has held the rank of minor basilica.
The relics of Saint Trofimena, a young martyr from Patti in Sicily, are kept in a marble urn beneath the altar of the Baroque crypt, reached by two curved stairways flanking the presbytery. The crypt, 13.60 m long and 8.50 m wide, is the centre of Minori's religious life.
The basilica sits in central Minori and is easily reached on foot from the beach and town center. The interior is open to visitors who can explore the chapels and observe the architectural details at their own pace.
The crypt beneath the presbytery, reached by two curved staircases at its outer sides, is a Baroque room 13.60 m long and 8.50 m wide. Under the altar a marble urn holds the mortal remains of Saint Trofimena, making this underground space the centre of Minori's religious life.
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