Mother Church of Lentini – Sant'Alfio

La Mother Church of Sant'Alfio in Lentini in Sicily, it is a splendid cathedral located in Piazza Umberto I built in Baroque style, whose original plan dates back to the Byzantine era.

The history of the Mother Church of Lentini

La mother church of Lentini it probably was realized for the first time aroundyear 253 AD concurrent with the martyrdom of Alfio and his brothers, victims of the Christian persecutions by the Romans.

After the killing of Sant'Alfio, thanks to the magnanimity of the Roman noblewoman named Key, construction work began on a primitive church which was then consecrated on 4 September 261 and dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary but with the title of Santa Maria La Cava. To be precise, the realization took place near the house of Tecla's mother. Nearby there was a well located practically in the quarry called Santa Margherita al Tirone at the time, into which the bodies of Sant'Alfio and his brothers were thrown. To guarantee a dignified Christian burial for the martyrs, Thecla together with her collaborators decided to recover those bodies that had been thrown into the well and to insert them in a complex of three arcosolia that were dug into the rock.

Today these structures are still visible because they are inserted in the chapels of the right aisle of the current cathedral. Thecla was also buried inside the basilica with the other martyrs and virgins who had suffered persecution.

The church has been rebuilt several times also due to devastating earthquakes such as that of 1140. Subsequently the bodies of the three brothers were moved by the bishop of the city for fear of the constant raids by pirates and Saracens and placed in a secret structure making them lose track until to the sixteenth century. They were found by pure chance in an area outside the municipality of Lentini, but thanks to the willpower of the local farmers they were brought back to their original location.

Today the cathedral is called Mother Church of Lentini or Santa Maria la Cava and Sant'Alfio.

Architecture of the Mother Church of Lentini

The mother church of Lentini was built in its current form in Baroque. Although its history began during the third century AD, what we see today is the result of a construction or rather of a post-earthquake reconstruction that took place in 1696 and was completed in 1747.

The external facade is in the Sicilian Baroque style and has a Latin cross layout divided into the traditional three naves, divided between them by twelve columns and pillars. The imposing dome, on the other hand, was made with sails and ribs which were decorated with the relief stucco technique. It has frescoed pendentives with the figures of the evangelists. In the central nave instead there are some frescoes that tell of some religious events such as the ascent to heaven of the Three Holy Martyrs accompanied by the Virgin Mary and the baptism of the first catechumens. There are 3 crypts and several preserved works of art dating back several centuries. In addition, a steatite relic of the cross of Jesus Christ is kept.

What to see in Lentini

Lentini is an Italian town of about 23 inhabitants that offers much more to see than the Mother Church. In this regard it is advisable to book a stay to enjoy the splendid patronal feast which is organized in memory of the three martyrs who became saints: Alfio, Filadelfo and Cirino. Among other places of interest stands out the church of San Francesco di Paola with its splendid staircase and the Holy Cross church inside which the relics of the Cross of Jesus are kept. Furthermore, there are many civil buildings to admire such as the castellaccio with its archaeological area and the Palace Benevento.

How to reach the Mother Church of Lentini

The Mother Church of Lentini is located in via Murganzio, behind Piazza Umberto I. It can be easily reached by taking via Giuseppe Garibaldi or from via Giuseppe Verdi.

To reach Lentini, by car, those coming from Syracuse must follow the E45 and then continue on the SS114. If instead you arrive from Messina, you will need to follow the A18 motorway which is also the itinerary for those arriving from Catania. From Palermo the route is much longer and develops first with the E90 and then with the A19.