Mother Church of Santa Domenica Vittoria

Sant'Antonio Abate is the patron saint of Santa Domenica Vittoria, a town in the province of Messina. One of the most beautiful and historic churches in the country is dedicated to him, obviously extremely beautiful given that it was built in honor of the patron saint of the town. Here, then, is all the information that may be useful for making the most of your visit Mother Church of Santa Domenica Vittoria.

History of the Mother Church of Santa Domenica Vittoria

The history of Church of Sant'Antonio Abate in Santa Domenica Vittoria it is very ancient and is linked to the entire construction of the town. Its first construction dates back to 1776 but it was only in 1864 that the small chapel was enlarged and also earned the title of mother church. The operation was strongly supported by Dominic Alliata who also worked to equip the church with a new baptismal font and enrich it with numerous works of art that were created specifically for the church or transferred from other churches in the surrounding area. On the baptismal font, in particular, you can see the coat of arms of the Alliata family as well as the date of positioning of the font, a very important element for dating the entire construction. Over the centuries, then, the mother church has been the subject of numerous interventions which have partly distorted its original plan, making it similar to how it appears to its visitors today.

The architecture and any works of art present in the Mother Church of Santa Domenica Vittoria

As regards its architecture, its external appearance betrays the numerous expansion interventions that have taken place over the centuries.

In particular, on one of the two sides you can see the Bell tower which was built after the birth of the church and some elements can still be seen which are part of the original construction which was then incorporated into the structure built in 1864.interior of the basilica, however, is divided into three naves, of which the main one houses the chapel at the back which is dedicated to Saint Anthony with the statue of the patron saint, the one who is carried in triumph every year during his patronal feast and the related procession. Finally, recently, the two side naves have been enriched with numerous statues of saints, which date back to a decidedly modern era.

What is possible to do in the surroundings or inside the Mother Church of Santa Domenica Vittoria

In addition to the Mother Church of Santa Domenica Vittoria, it is possible to take advantage of the opportunity of a visit to the village to discover other beauties of this small village in the province of Messina.
For example, right in front of the church there is the so-called a Turri which is very dear to the locals and represents a bit of the monument symbol of the country: it's about a sighting tower to prevent pirates and Saracens from getting too close to the coasts and its construction dates back to the XNUMXth century.
Nearby, then, there is also another typical place: it's called u bagghiu and it is a courtyard made of pebbles originating from the Middle Ages, perhaps the oldest part and better preserved of the whole country. Finally, theancient trough which once served travelers to feed their animals and which today is still fully functional.

How to get to Santa Domenica Vittoria

To get to Santa Domenica Vittoria and visit the Parish of Sant'Antonio Abate in Santa Domenica Vittoria it is possible to move with theauto in a simple and fast way.

From Messina you need to take the A18 and then the Ss120 while those coming from Palermo or Trapani must take the A20 and then the E90. From Catania, however, the reference road involves traveling first on the A18 and then on the E45, the latter being the same road that those coming from Syracuse must take. Finally from Enna you have to take the A19 and then the E932.

Santa Domenica Vittoria does not have its own train station, so those who decide to travel on the train you will have to refer to the nearby stations of Falcone, Oliveri Tindari or Fiumefreddo and from there continue the journey with the local buses made available by AST.