The Cathedral of Giarre

The Cathedral of Giarre

Between Etna and the Ionian Sea lies the city of Giarre in the province of Catania: a place full of attractions and artistic beauties including the unmissable Cathedral, a significant destination for every tourist who visits the city.

History of the Cathedral of Giarre

The Cathedral of Giarre, dedicated to Saint Isidore, was built on the land that housed the church of Sant'Agata and Sant'Isidoro and was commissioned by Father Spina at the end of the eighteenth century and was opened for worship, not yet completed, at the beginning of the following century.

The Cathedral was born on what was a small seventeenth-century church commissioned by the then Archbishop of Catania. The church was located where the right aisle of the cathedral is today and was completely demolished in 1818 but it must be remembered that in the seventeenth century the right of patronage was in force which limited the small church in completely fulfilling its task which was limited to the sole Chapel of Sant'Isidoro and this in order not to create conflicts between the Beneficiale and the Archpriest which, however, were also there in a very marked way also because the two were absolutely not willing to find a meeting point.

The construction works of the Cathedral were based on the engineer's project Peter Valente who, at the time, was a well-known architect. Having failed to complete the church as planned, the architect Carlo Sada took over and modified the initial project of both the Cathedral and the Piazza.

Architecture and works of art present in the Cathedral of Giarre

Built in white stone and in a neoclassical style, the building is made up of an important central nave and two other minor naves that extend to the sides, in addition to the transept and a beautiful dome with a lantern.

The large churchyard and the two bell towers that complete the structure, worthily characterize the project of both the engineer Valente and the architect Sada who saw the end of the works in 1890.
With a Latin cross base, the facade has three main entrance doors and two side ones, directly facing the facing Piazza del Duomo in the center of Giarre.

The tourist who visits the interior of the Cathedral will find himself in front of precious works of eighteenth and nineteenth century Sicilian art and a truly important collection of sacred silverware.
Also admirable is the majestic pipe organ built by the best specialists of the time, the Serassi brothers of Bergamo in the mid-XNUMXth century.

Among the works of art that are kept inside the Cathedral of Giarre, we find the following:

- Eighteenth-century canvas of the Venetian school depicting Tobiolo who takes care of his father in the presence ofAngel Raphael.

- Late XNUMXth century early XNUMXth century oil painting depicting the Martyrdom of St. Sebastian.

- Oil painting second half of the eighteenth century depicting the Immaculate Virgin, Sant'Agata, Sant'Isidoro, S. Antonio di Padova and Sant'Apollonio. Painting attributable to Paolo Vasta.

- Early eighteenth century oil painting depicting Maddalena in front of the Cross where Cherubim hover.

- Oil painting by Giuseppe and Francesco Vaccaro depicting the Martyrdom of Saint Agatha.

- Oil painting from the late seventeenth century depicting San Filippo Blacks in prayer.

- Oil painting from the second half of the XNUMXth century depicting Madonna with Child.

- Red velvet tapestry with filigree embroidery from the Bourbon era.

- Canvas depicting the Virgin of Carmel of the late nineteenth century by Giuseppe Zacco.

Other valuable works of art are a Baptistery in white marble and the two fonts for the holy water, the baptismal fonts that come from the church that previously existed in the Duomo.

What you can do around the Cathedral of Giarre

Thanks to its position, it is possible to make several interesting excursions from Giarre. For example, visit the small town of Acireale, one of the most important centers found on the eastern side of Etna.

In fact Acireale rises right on a lava plateau almost overhanging the Ionian Sea and situated on what is called the Cyclops Riviera.

Also in the surrounding area it is possible to visit characteristic fishing villages such as that of Pozzillo, of Santa Maria La Scala and Santa Tecla.

A few kilometers from Acireale it is possible to stop and discover the Grotto of the Crib, famous for being the protagonist of many legends or, alternatively, reach an ancient Greek port that is today Capomulini and the adjacent Timpa Reserve.

Obviously, the most important active volcano of the whole cannot fail to be mentioned Old World, Etna, formed over five hundred thousand years ago, nor the splendid Taormina of Greek origins whose testimonies are still very present.

How it is possible to get to the Cathedral of Giarre

By car:
Taking the Catania-Messina (A18) motorway, exit at the Giarre tollbooth. Continue on the SS114 Orientale Sicula and follow the signs for the city centre.

On the train:
Get off at the Giarre-Riposto railway station (Messina-Siracusa line). Go up Corso Italia adjacent to the railway station to get to the city centre.

By plane:
Land at Catania airport (Fontana Rossa).
Reach Giarre by train or by car.

© Simone Tinella, CC BY-SA 4.0 - Remtene, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons