The Church of San Basilio Magno in Graniti

In Graniti, a small town in the province of Messina, there is a religious structure which is known as Mother Church but which is actually the one dedicated to St. Basil the Great. The granite church it has a very particular architecture that dates back to the 1600s and is truly suggestive as the interiors, on the other hand, date back to a century later. Here, then, is all the information to be able to visit it.

History of the Church of San Basilio a Graniti

La Church of San Basilio in Graniti it has a very long history since its construction began in the early seventeenth century. The church is particularly important because, since its construction, the town was divided into two areas: Saint Basil of "Susu" and of "Iusu", which indicate the part below and above with respect to the position of the church, which was placed on a substantial rock made up of granite. Little is known about its construction as over time the related documents have been lost.

Certainly, however, the interior of the Mother Church of Graniti it has undergone a total makeover, probably to bring it more in line with the taste of the time. Today the structure is found with a typically seventeenth-century facade and an eighteenth-century interior which, instead of clashing, makes the church even more particular and recognizable among all the other structures of the genre.

The architecture and any works of art present in the church in Graniti

In reality, despite being the main parish of Graniti, the Church of San Basilio does not have interiors particularly rich in works of art. A noteworthy element is the wooden choir located above the main altar which is entirely made of polychrome marble and clearly follows the Baroque. On both sides, above the tabernacle, there are little sculpted angels who are by an unknown artist but who in all probability belonged to the Gagini school.

On the sides of the apse, however, there are small niches that contain statues of saints that certainly belong to a more recent era.

Apart from these small details, the interior of the church in Graniti has undergone several changes over time and therefore as a whole it no longer has an eighteenth-century style but is absolutely reminiscent of a modern religious structure.

More particular, however, are the external details as the church of San Basilio Magno is divided into three parts: a central one, with two arched Ionic columns at the portal, a lateral one which is occupied by the bell tower and finally one on the opposite side which it is lower than the rest of the structure and has another very simple door. Overall, the exterior of the hotel is inspired by a Romanesque stylevery simple and essential.

What you can do around the Church of San Basilio in Graniti

Organizing a visit to the Church of San Basilio Magno in Graniti can be the excuse to carry out a more in-depth visit to Graniti, this small town in the province of Messina which has its origins in the Arab world. Probably the locality was born around a farmhouse, already known in 1117, called dei Graniti which in 1356 was purchased by Giovanni Mangiavacca, a nobleman from Messina who decided to build a small inhabited center nearby for the workers of his lands. Subsequently the inhabited center developed over the centuries, reaching its maximum expansion in the nineteenth century. There are many small historical gems that can be visited in the village.

One of these is certainly the Giuseppe Mazzullo Museum, an artist who has dedicated a large part of his life to sculpture and who was born in Graniti. Inside the museum there are many of his early works. Then there is the Church of San Sebastiano, who is also the patron saint of the town, and which represents the fulcrum of the festival held every year in honor of the saint in August.

Lovers of art and folklore will find the murals irresistible, which are made in various parts of the town and above all cover the narrow streets of the most historic nucleus of Graniti: they are the work of both local artists and industry professionals from all over the world who wanted to leaving one's own memory in the village. Finally, during a visit Graniti you cannot fail to taste them famous local cherries: Graniti has on its territory different types of crops, 10 varieties, and they are all delicious and suitable to be eaten both natural and in other preparations. Hence the need to make this excellence known with the annual organization of the Cherry Festival.

How is it possible to get to Graniti

People who are interested in reaching Graniti to visit the church of San Basilio Magno and beyond have various means at their disposal.
Certainly one of the most comfortable is theauto: from Messina and Catania the reference motorway is the A18, with the Taormina or Giardini di Naxos exit.
Who prefers to reach Graniti with the train, can leave from Messina and Catania to arrive at the Alcantara station which is the one closest to Graniti, which does not have its own railway station. From Messina there is also a bus service which is guaranteed by the AST - Azienda Siciliana Trasporti and which connects all the small towns nearby.