{"id":721,"date":"2025-08-28T16:53:31","date_gmt":"2025-08-28T14:53:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ruralsicily.com\/?post_type=esperienze&p=721"},"modified":"2025-08-28T16:53:31","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T14:53:31","slug":"acireale-scopri-le-maestose-basiliche-della-citta-dei-100-campanili","status":"publish","type":"esperienze","link":"https:\/\/ruralsicily.com\/en\/esperienze\/cicloturismo\/acireale-scopri-le-maestose-basiliche-della-citta-dei-100-campanili\/","title":{"rendered":"Acireale: discover the majestic Basilicas of the city of 100 bell towers"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the Baroque heart of Acireale, a must-see itinerary in the \u201ccity of 100 bell towers\u201d takes us through the three basilicas<\/strong>, exploring the iconic sites of faith and the distinctive art of the Aci area.<\/p>\n

The foundation of the Basilica Cathedral dedicated to Mary Most Holy of the Annunciation<\/strong> dates back to the early 15th century, but already in the previous century a small chapel dedicated to the Annunciation had been built nearby. At the beginning of the 16th century, just a few meters from the chapel, a small single-nave church with a bell tower was constructed, whose plan corresponds to the current central nave. After several expansions, which saw in 1651 the holy virgin and martyr Venera proclaimed patroness of the city of Acireale, and in 1683 the beginning of works for the construction within the basilica of a chapel intended to house the sacred relics and the precious statue of the Saint, on January 11, 1693, a terrible earthquake devastated southeastern Sicily<\/strong>, destroying much of its historical and artistic heritage, including a large part of the Mother Church, whose restorations were completed at the beginning of the 18th century. Following the establishment of the Diocese of Acireale, between 1887 and 1890, at the behest of the first bishop, Monsignor Gerlando Maria Genuardi<\/strong>, the main fa\u00e7ade was completed with the construction of the northern bell tower, the rose window, and a connecting gallery composed of small columns and arches. Between 1905 and 1907, the painter Giuseppe Sciuti<\/strong> from Zafferana Etnea created the frescoes on the vault. The current fa\u00e7ade is the result of interventions that took place over the centuries, featuring bell towers, Corinthian capitals, polychrome glazed bricks, a white stone portal consisting of four Corinthian columns, and, of course, the indispensable lava stone.<\/p><\/p>\n\"\"\n

Crossing Piazza Duomo upon exit, the Basilica dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul<\/strong> rises, connected to an ancient confraternity that, to practice devotion in honor of the two Princes of the Apostles, used to gather in a small church located next to the then Mother Church of Acireale. The construction of the church dates back to the 16th century, but the violence of the 1693 earthquake destroyed the dome and caused serious damage to the entire structure. Starting in 1705, the church governors commissioned Pietro Paolo Vasta<\/strong> to design the new fa\u00e7ade, which began in 1740. The bell tower, still admirable today, is decorated with floral motifs and masks placed at the end of each level. The main portal is topped by a broken pediment supported by two smaller columns, also in Corinthian style. The second level is enriched by six composite-style columns framing the central window, whose stained glass displays the basilica's emblem. Following are two circular plaques and the statues of Saint Peter on the left and Saint Paul on the right. The second level is closed by a triangular pediment of clear classical influence.<\/p><\/p>\n

Continuing past the City Palace southward with just a few steps, the majestic Basilica dedicated to the veneration of the city\u2019s co-patron, Saint Sebastian<\/strong> rises. It developed between the late 16th and early 17th centuries and was invoked as protector against the 1577 plague, when a terrible epidemic struck the Aci territory and the statue of the saint was placed on the altar as an object of supplication by the faithful. The city remained immune to the contagion, and the devotees, confident in the Saint\u2019s intercession, increased to the point that they could no longer be accommodated in the small church. The rectors of the confraternity then decided to build a monumental three-nave basilica. The approximately 60,000 victims of the mentioned Val di Noto earthquake, including 739 in the city of Aci, saw much of the building collapse, which, as an inscription on the right side of the fa\u00e7ade recalls, was rebuilt between 1695 and 1699. The fa\u00e7ade was completed in 1715, and in 1732 Pietro Paolo Vasta<\/strong> painted the frescoes of the choir and presbytery, while between 1899 and 1901 Francesco Patan\u00e8<\/strong> executed the frescoes on the two sides of the transept using encaustic technique. The basilica\u2019s fa\u00e7ade is a perfect example of Sicilian Baroque: designed by the Acireale-born Angelo Bellofiore<\/strong>, it is adorned with columns decorated with acanthus scrolls and anthropomorphic figures. Its view abounds with statues of saints and cherubs holding garlands of flowers and fruits, representing a true hymn to life. Not surprisingly, UNESCO has declared the basilica a \u201cmonument conveying a culture of peace.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":723,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"categoria-esperienza":[21],"class_list":["post-721","esperienze","type-esperienze","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","categoria-esperienza-cicloturismo"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAcireale: scopri le maestose Basiliche della citt\u00e0 dei 100 campanili - Rural Sicily<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Nel cuore barocco di Acireale, scopriamo le tre basiliche simbolo della fede e dell\u2019arte identitaria delle Aci.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ruralsicily.com\/en\/esperienze\/cicloturismo\/acireale-scopri-le-maestose-basiliche-della-citta-dei-100-campanili\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Acireale: scopri le maestose Basiliche della citt\u00e0 dei 100 campanili - 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