Church of the Santissima Annunziata dei Catalani

Messina, Italy

The Church of the Santissima Annunziata dei Catalani is an example of Norman architecture on Sicily. It dates from the 12th century, when Sicily was under Norman rule. Built on top of the ruins of an older temple dedicated to Neptune, the church is an example of Sicilian Norman architecture with its mix of different cultural elements.

The church displays influences from Arab and Byzantine architecture and also contains Roman elements. Particularly the apse is unusually well-preserved. The name of the church derives from merchants from Catalonia who established a presence in Messina in the 16th century.

References:

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: 12th century
Category: Religious sites in Italy

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Homa (3 years ago)
It can’t believable but it’s a Church. The look is very different because it has a Norman_Arab style. They adopted this style from Islamic time.
Lucian Popescu (3 years ago)
Overlooked norman era church mixing romanesque and moorish styles. Interior seemed not open for visitors
mustafa cutlerywala (5 years ago)
Great place with lovely architecture
Sumit Roy (6 years ago)
Nice architecture
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Château de Niort

Château de Niort is a medieval castle in the French town of Niort. It consists of two square towers, linked by a 15th-century building and dominates the Sèvre Niortaise valley.

The two donjons are the only remaining part of the castle. The castle was started by Henry II Plantagenet in the 12th century and completed by Richard the Lionheart. It was defended by a rectangular curtain wall and was damaged during the Wars of Religion. In the 18th century, the castle served as a prison.

The present keeps were the central point of a massive fortress. The southern keep is 28m tall, reinforced with turrets. The northern tower is slightly shorter at 23m. Both are flanked with circular turrets at the corners as well as semicircular buttresses. Each of the towers has a spiral staircase serving the upper floors. The Romanesque architecture is of a high quality with the dressed stones closely jointed.