Mother Church of Troina

Troina is an Italian town in the the province of Enna characterized by many cultural and historical beauties to visit such as the Cathedral of the Blessed Assumption. A structure of great historical as well as cultural and religious interest.

Mother Church of Troina, the Cathedral of the Blessed Assunta

Sicily has a lot to offer its visitors in practically every area and latitude, including the province of Enna. In particular, the Mother Church of Troina.

It is a religious structure whose construction was started in the year 1067 and completed in 1078. From an architectural point of view it is presented in Norman, Baroque and Aragonese style like most of the other churches and monuments present in Sicily because it is an expression of the various dominations that have followed one another over the centuries. At the end of its construction, this church was immediately elevated to a cathedral until the bishop's seat was moved to the city of Messina.

The construction was strongly desired by Roger I of Sicily, who made available the necessary resources to complete the work within a few years. The reason that prompted the powerful ruler was to thank the Assunta for the extraordinary victory that she managed to achieve against the Arabs, also freeing the community from a Saracen domination that had been going on for a very long time. Confirming the importance of this religious structure in that historical period, in the year 1088 it hosted Pope Urban II who celebrated mass and in fact consecrated that seat.

The main architectural features of the Mother Church of Troina

The mother church of Troina is characterized by its typically Norman style with many hints of the Baroque and Aragonese era. Initially, the construction was carried out in Romanesque style but later, during the fifteenth century, during a restructuring, the semicircular apses were changed and some stylistic elements typical of this era were inserted. The plan was also modified, switching to a layout with three naves. There were then further reinterpretations during the Bourbon era and specifically, in 1785 there were reconstruction works on the façade.

Inside today you can admire a total of 11 altars and 6 paintings made by a particularly famous Italian painter such as Giuseppe Velasco, who lived between the second half of the eighteenth century and the first three decades of the nineteenth century. The external facade is large and majestic with the ancient tower which seems to be almost a foreign body given the stylistic differences.

What to see in Troina

In the center of Troina and its peripheral parts there are many other monuments and religious buildings not to be missed. there is theAbbey of San Michele Arcangelo Vecchio dating back to 1062 or the Church of the Most Holy Saviour of the fourteenth century, Church of Santa Maria Immacolata and without forgetting the Church of San Nicolò in Scalforio whose initial plan is even dated to the XNUMXth century.

There are also many civil architectures to visit such as the Sollima Palace, Calandra house and the ancient Roger's Norman Castle which was a fortress whose construction was carried out in 1061, however, taking advantage of a building that had even been built in the fifth century BC. To recommend a walk in the Roger Square which is located in the highest part of the historic center and from which it is possible to appreciate a wonderful panoramic view with Etna in the background on one side and the coast of the Ionian Sea on the other. Don't miss the Ancipa Lake, just 13 km away from the historic center of Troina, an artificial lake located 950 meters above sea level on the Nebrodi mountains.

How to get to Troina

By car:, to get from Enna to Troina it is necessary to travel about 82 km for a total journey of 90 minutes. It is necessary to follow the SP4 and then take the A19/E392 exit towards SP1 and SP2. For those arriving from Messina, a journey of 162 km is necessary for over 2 hours 15 minutes, crossing most of the A18 motorway and then the SS121 and the SS575.

© Image by David Mauro, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons