The Cathedral of Messina is named after St. Mary and was built in the Justinian era (c. 500 AD). Looking at its façade, first from a distance and then in the details of high reliefs on the imposing entrance door, you would never imagine that this cathedral has had such a troubled history! In fact, the Arabs, during their domination of the Island between the 9th and 11th centuries, deconsecrated it and turned it into a mosque. In the centuries to come, the cathedral then underwent several modifications that moved it away from its original Romanesque imprint, until 1908, when the Messina earthquake severely damaged its structure. Rebuilt during the 1920s, the church experienced another bad moment in history, as did our entire country. In 1943, the church went up in flames due to an air raid during the war. This was followed by a new reconstruction that ended in 1947, when the church reopened to the public, also acquiring Basilica status thanks to Pope Pius XII.
