Trapani Cathedral

La Trapani Cathedral has a very ancient history and if we want to retrace it, we must go back to the 1102th century: it is in XNUMX, in fact, at the time of Consulate of the Genoese Nation, which date back to the foundations of the building, in the district called Palazzo. Almost two hundred years later, the cult building dedicated to San Lorenzo becomes the center of a new neighborhood, of the same name, built at the behest of King James II of Aragon, who divided the "old" Palazzo district, in two distinct areas; at the time, however, the Trapani Cathedral it was simply a chapel, which later became a parish in the sixteenth century, thanks to Alfonso the Magnanimous, Prince of Aragon.

With a leap of another two centuries, we arrive at 1603, when the parish is enlarged with the addition of the apse. In 1736 the parish was elevated to the rank of collegiate, while the Mother Church of Trapani it was still the one consecrated to Saint Augustine.

In 1740 a major restoration of the Church was carried out, which gave it its current Baroque appearance, the High Altar and the splendid dome.

In 1844, finally, the Church was elevated to the rank of Cathedral. The last restoration works, which began in the mid-seventies of the last century, were completed only in 1997, but still in the nineties a new gate and new sacred furnishings were added to the Cathedral.

The architecture of the Trapani Cathedral and the works it houses

The facade of the Trapani Cathedral it is in Baroque and the Church is accessed from the pronaos with 3 arches, where there is also the new gate, while the upper order of the Cathedral is characterized by sinuous shapes and fine decorations.

What strikes the eye of faithful and visitors is above all the interior of the Cathedral, where priceless treasures are hidden: starting from the left aisle, we come across 4 bays, with chapels and statues of saints, as well as altars and paintings, the whose authors are Vincenzo Manno, Andrea Carreca and Pieter Paul Rubens, the great Flemish painter of the seventeenth century; even the transept houses many works of art such as the Incarnate Stone of Tartaglia, while in the right aisle there are paintings by Rubens and Van Dyck, the great Flemish painters of the seventeenth century. Inside the Cathedral there are also two modern pipe organs.

What to do in Trapani Cathedral and its surroundings

Visit the Cathedral of Trapani it is one of the main objectives for visitors passionate about art history who come to the city; an important place of worship for Catholicism, the Cathedral is also the destination of pilgrims who meet here with the locals to gather in prayer.

When visiting Trapani, however, there are also many other attractions not to be missed, such as the Baroque churches of the city, from Church of the Jesuit College to the Church of the PurgatoryFurthermore, there is no shortage of much older sacred buildings such as the Church of Sant'Agostino, built in the XNUMXth century.

A tour to discover the city's greatest religious monuments cannot leave out a stop at the Basilica-Sanctuary of Maria Santissima Annunziata and walking through the historic center, you will encounter many other churches, which we always recommend you enter.

There is no shortage of so-called civil monuments in the centre, buildings that have made the history of Trapani: Cavarretta Palace it's a baroque symbol, Palazzo della Giudecca it dates back to the XNUMXth century and the Lazzaretto, built in the XNUMXth century, has also become a real monument.

La Cathedral of San Lorenzo is connected to the Bishop's Palace through a picturesque balcony that testifies how the alleys of Trapani can be mysterious and full of charm, which is why we suggest you take a walk through the most beautiful streets of the historic center.

From Trapani, you can easily reach the Saline Reserve, but also take the ferry to the spectacular island of Favignana, In 'Archipelago of the Egadi Islands.

Recommended activities for a tour in Trapani and its surroundings

How is it possible to get to the Cathedral of Trapani

La Trapani Cathedral it is located in Corso Vittorio Emanuele, near the port. To get to the city, you can choose between auto e train: With the car, take the A29 (branch for Birgi) until the junction for Marsala, while on the train it is possible to get off at the Central Station, directly in the city.

© Image by Mboesch, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons