Cathedral

Central Sicily


You can spot the dramatically sited dome of the huge cathedral from a few kilometres away. It rises majestically from the hilltop and the terraced houses skirt its base in descending tiers. The severe facade dates from 1719, with the dome added in 1768. Inside the airy blue-and-white interior, behind the altar, is a copy of a Byzantine painting, Madonna delle Vittorie (Virgin of the Victories), the original of which was supposedly presented to Count Roger I by Pope Nicholas II.

In front of the cathedral is a beautiful belvedere (panoramic terrace) while to the right of it is the baronial Palazzo Trigona. A statue of Baron Marco Trigona – who financed the cathedral's construction – stands in the square.

To the side of the main church, the 44m-high campanile is a leftover from an earlier 14th-century church.