Cathedral of Sant'Agata di Ali

In province of Messina and particularly in the small municipality of Ali which has only 700 inhabitants, there are many places of interest for visitors and art and culture enthusiasts such as the magnificent Duomo. It is a late Renaissance structure which still today represents one of the largest churches in the whole Archdiocese of Messina.

The history of the Cathedral of Sant'Agata di Alì

Il Cathedral of Sant'Agata di Ali it is certainly a prominent structure of the small community present in the province of Messina. According to scholars and experts in the sector, the construction of the church was started in 1581 and then completed in 1608. It is presented in a late Renaissance style with many typical elements of Mannerism.

At the time of construction it was decided to use a stone that was taken from some local quarries and which also characterized its tone. The external part had 3 entrance doors flanked by two columns with Doric style capitals. In the various wordings that are found at the entrance to the church, one can appreciate the great faith that the people had towards Sant'Agata, so much so that the phrase is reported according to which under the protection of Agata the community of Ali will never have nothing to fear. On the central door there was once a niche that contained the statue of this patron saint which however was lost due to the terrible earthquake that struck this part of Sicily in 1783.

The architecture and works of art inside the Cathedral of Sant'Agata di Alì

There are no historical documents which confirm that the construction of the Cathedral began in the year 1581, but this can be deduced from what is reported by a very famous writer from Catania such as Pietro Carrera who believes that the church was started a few months before the 1582.

The entire population took an active part in its construction, giving a hand on the construction site but also with many donations and bequests. This is a peculiarity of this territory because in many other municipalities the main churches were built at the behest of sovereigns or very important bishops who could count on the financial support of powerful nobles of the time. On the other hand, this confirms how great was the devotion of the whole community towards Sant'Agata, so much so that even today the patronal feast of the village.

As regards the project, it is probable that the architect was one of the followers of Andrea Calamech, also because the development of the structure is typical of this school. In fact it has three naves with a Latin cross transept and three apses. The dome rises up to a height of 29 m and there are a total of 16 columns on which the various arches rest. There is the statue of San Sebastiano which is currently indicated among the main works of the whole province of Messina whose construction was carried out during the sixteenth century probably by the master Rinaldo Bonanno who was an excellent architect.

Near the Cathedral of Sant'Agata di Alì, there is a beautiful parish museum in which various objects that have made the religious history of this part of Sicily have been placed: they are objects of importance also from an artistic point of view because they are made by various master silversmiths of Messina.

What to see in Ali

On the territory of the small community of Alì there are many other beauties to visit such as the Church of Santa Maria del Bosco which is located right in the central part of the community in the middle of a small grove of chestnut trees. Also there is the Church of the Holy Spirit built in 1445 and that of Saint Anthony of Padua which dates back to 600. Also noteworthy is the Convent of the Capuchins with relative Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli and a series of very interesting civil architectures such as the Palace of the Major family and Palace of the Fama family.

How to get to Ali

By car:, to reach the small community of Alì coming from Messina it takes about 32 km for a 50-minute journey crossing the state road 114 Orientale Sicula. From Catania, on the other hand, there is a 76 km route that requires an hour and 20 minutes of travel via the A18 motorway and the E45.