Cattedrale di Maria Santissima Annunziata

The Cathedral of Acireale, dedicated to Maria Santissima Annunziata, is the place of the cult of St. Venera, the patron Saint of the city, which houses the relics. The first building, dating from the fifteenth century, consisted of a single chapel; the construction of the Cathedral began in 1598 and, over the centuries, it underwent changes and extensions, reaching its present appearance only in 1889: Latin cross plan, with three naves. In the late nineteenth century, the building was joined to the Bishop's Palace by an overpass on the north side, by Charles Cocuccio. The entire temple complex (Cathedral, Palace and church buildings annexes) is a real citadel. The facade, dating back to the seventeenth century, has a sculptural group in the portal, made by the workshop of Messina Placido Blandamonte; two identical towers on the sides, but not coeval. The dome was completed in 1732, designed by architect Paolo Amico. The interior has been modified following the earthquakes of 1693 and 1783. The Chapel of St. Venera, richly decorated with frescoes and marble, houses the relics and the statue of the Saint, by Mario D'Angelo (1651-1655). The Cathedral is home to other memorials and the sundial by Christian Heinrich Friedrich Peters (1843).