The Church of San Giovanni Battista in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto

History of the Church of San Giovanni Battista in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto

An imposing façade, which welcomes the faithful with its stone arms: this is how the beautiful Church of San Giovanni Battista in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto presents itself. The Church is part of the Archdiocese of Messina – Lipari – Santa Lucia del Mela, in the Metropolitan City of Messina.
La Church was founded in 1635 and became a parish in 1943. The original layout was extensively enlarged during the 1908th century. Fortunately, this church was not damaged by the terrible earthquake that devastated the city in XNUMX; however, the frescoes, decorations and paintings of the interior were heavily damaged over the centuries and restored in the XNUMXs.
Today the Church, due to the urban and economic developments of the city, is located in the heart of the Sicilian municipality.

Architecture of the Church of Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto and the works it houses

The Church in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto appears imposing on the outside and richly decorated on the inside.
The central body of the building is flanked by two bell towers, who welcome the faithful at the entrance.
The facade is divided into three orders, outlined by stone cornices; the tops of the bell towers, higher, form a separate fourth order, from which the single lancet windows overlook. The portal reproduces the pediment of a temple and is dominated by the niche of the saint.

The interiors of this Church present such decorations as to almost take the breath away of the faithful and visitors, for their richness of details, for the colors and for the quantity of decorations, paintings, sculptures they offer.
Both aisles have niches and chapels, with Statues of saints, representations of sacred scenes and altarpieces. Among the many artistic works that are kept in the Church, we mention only the first Chapel of the Crucifixion, with the canvas of the same name, in the right aisle and the last one, the Chapel of the Addolorata, which houses the painting of the Madonna and Childin the left aisle.

The main altar, placed in the direction of the faithful, is decorated with a small temple aedicule, while in the apse area there are numerous frescoes.
Testimony of the Sicilian Baroque, this wonderful church contains an incredible amount of works of art.

What you can do around the Church of San Giovanni Battista in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto

At the parish, those who wish can attend mass together with the faithful of the place, and then stop to admire all the beauties that are contained therein. For art lovers it is undoubtedly an excellent idea to plan a holiday in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto.
In fact, there are many other attractions that await tourists here, such as the wonderful churches of Barcelona: the new one Minor Basilica of San Sebastiano it is one of the largest churches in the entire province and its origins date back to the XNUMXth century; today its beauty and importance are worth it title of Cathedral.
Il Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, of seventeenth-century origins, was instead completely rebuilt in the nineteenth century; there are many other churches that you can visit in Barcelona.

There is no shortage of civil architecture, such as watchtowers, palaces and noble villas and buildings of great architectural and artistic interest, scattered throughout the city. Just to mention a few names, you will remember Maimone Palace ( XVIII century), Casa Bavastrelli, the Villino Sant'Onofrio.
Beautiful buildings in Liberty style make the urban landscape very elegant. And then: theatre, entertainment venues such as theMontecroci Arena, parks-museums and the Villa Primo Levi, an example of modern architecture and an important cultural center of the city.

Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto is close to the sea and in the summer, visitors can take advantage of a visit to the city to spend a few days on the beach; if, on the other hand, you want to discover the other beauties of North-Eastern Sicily, you can reach the Castle of Milazzo, just 12 km away: the fortified Citadel is the largest on the island.
Finally, an attraction not to be missed is the Jalari Museum Park, just 8 km from Barcelona on Peloritani Mountains. The name of the park alludes to the stone, and along its paths there are many stone statues to admire.
Near the Park there is also the farmhouse, where you can spend pleasant moments of relaxation.

How to get to the Church of San Giovanni Battista in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto

The Church of San Giovanni Battista in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto is located in the Metropolitan City of Messina, near the Strait. Getting to the city is very easy: those traveling by car can take the A20 Messina – Palermo motorway and take the exit for Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto; trains and buses, on the other hand, connect the airports of Palermo, Catania and Reggio Calabria and the Port of Milazzo with the beautiful Sicilian center.
Once in the centre, the Church of Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto is located in Via Duca d'Aosta, n. 31 in the San Giovanni Battista district.

© Effems, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Effems, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons