THE DOME laughed them to 1120, was constructed for wanting of the king normanno Ruggero II. Its consecration to work of Benzio archbishop happened in 1197 to the presence of the king svevo Enrico More times destroyed from fires (terrible the last one to YOU, that one of 1943, for the bombs of allies to you) and earthquakes, always have been reconstructed conserving in the architectonic lines the ancient structure normanna. The more ancient part is the formed inferior facade from marmoree bands policrome. In year 1254, during the esequie in honor of Corrado IV di Svevia, son of Federico II, the tempio endured one first devastation because of a violent fire that destroyed the magnificent coverings in wood of the ceiling, rich istoriati to colors and of which some fragments is conserved to the Regional Museum of Messina. With the restorations that followed there were modifications that met the architectonic taste of the age; the Church became rich of works of art of reigning pregevole funeral invoice and many monuments of, between which Costanza of Castile, moglie of Federico III of Aragon, died in 1363, and Alfonso II king of Naples, died in 1494, was arranged between the aisles of the Temple.

The facade of the Cathedral conserve in the inferior part the ancient composed structure normanna from marmoree bands policrome and reliefs that in origin covered it nearly entire.

Of the three portals of the facade that one centers them, the greater one, is framed laterally from two tortiles columns resting on two lions. The mullions support small overlapped newspaper stands, where statues are placed of know and angels to you (work of 300 fine Baboccio beginning 400).

In the rear window, frescoed from Letterio Subba (1840), the Statue of the Virgin is carved operates of Mazzola (1534).

The marmoreal cusp, representing to the center the crowning of the Virgin, is work of the sculptor Peter Di Bonate (1468)

THE BELL-TOWER

Constructed, after the earthquake of 1908, on plan of the inaugurated architect Being worth and in 1933. Square base of meters 9,60 of side has a height of 60 meters on one. The tower quadrangular is uniform in four orders everyone of which delimited from a cornice, finishes with a merlata frame and catches up the 48 meters of height. The overhanging part is formed from a quadrangular turret anch' it of shape and on every facade a great luminous clock of the diameter of meters 2,50 is arranged. From the angles of the turret four cuspids are risen that they make from contour the large one cupide centers them that it catches up with its top the 60 meters of height.

To the Museum of the Technique of Berlin a copy in miniature of the Bell tower

of the Messina's Cathedral it's conserved.

Movement of the Bell tower
Inside: The Madonna of the Letter with the messinese Ambassadors

Nave

High Altar - Frontal in hurled silver 

Solemn width and the Navata Centers is enclosed them in two rows of monolitiche columns that divide it from the lateral navate ones, the ceiling is to spiovere, joined together from capriate, covered with panels in wood rich decorates to you, reproduces the antichi gone panels destroyed. The artistic altar frontal, in hurled silver, was executed from the F.lli Juvara in 1701, represents the Virgin in the action to hand the Letter to the messinese embassy.

In the apse they centers rises THE GREATER ALTAR rich adorned gives

marmoreal tarsies policrome, dedicated to the Madonna of the Letter.

The baroque canopy has been rifared, after the fire of 1943, on the shapes of that one originates them of the Junket

of XVII the century. Insigni artists like Di Gregorio, the Gagini, the Montòrsoli, the Junket, in the course of the time, left their print with prestigious works of art di.le which very little is remained because of the earthquakes of 1783 and 1908, this last one is what it provoked the more serious damages.

To the center of the artistic canopy, encircled from putti and angels in bronze harmoniously decided,

the picture of the Madonna of the Letter is arranged

"The Gold Manta"

Innocenzo Mangani - sec. XVII

Side Chapel and Altar of the Sacramento

Lofty work of Jacopo del Duca, disciple of Michelangelo, than for many years operated to Rome (Palace Cornaro-Villa Mattei-Church Madonna di Loreto). Eight mullions support a cupola while in the walls of the apse eight niches are obtained that contain as many statues of knows and angels to you. In the washbowl, valuable mosaic represent the Vergine with the Child surrounded from the Saints Agata and Lucia and Queens Elisabetta, wife of Peter II and Eleonora, wife of Federico of Aragon.