Catania Cathedral

Catania

The Cathedral, dedicated to Saint Agatha, the martyr and patron saint of Catania, is located on the east side of Piazza Duomo and it is one of the places of worship frequented by visitors and the local people. The main side is in Sicilian baroque style with an imposing marble front and two rows of granite columns taken from the Roman amphitheater in Catania. The sumptuous interior houses the Chapel of St. Agatha, located right in the apse, which houses the receptacle with the silver bust and the relics of the Saint, while in front of the first altar is the tomb of the composer Vincenzo Bellini. Other memorials monuments are dedicated to the bishops Orlando, Dusmet and Galletti. The right transept leads to the Chapel of the Coronation of the Virgin, with the tomb of Constance of Aragona and other Aragona Royal family. From the central apse, the visitor can admire the main altar in Norman style, surrounded by thirty-four wooden chairs, work of Scipione di Guido in the sixteenth century. There are also numerous frescoes and paintings, including a depiction of the disastrous 1669 lava flow.