Basilica Cattedrale di Maria Santissima Annunziata

Ionian Coast


Flanking the western side of Piazza Duomo is Acireale's barrel-vaulted cathedral. Built in the early 1600s, it's topped by towering, conical-capped towers. Inside, the echoing vaults and chapels are richly frescoed.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Ionian Coast attractions

1. Basilica dei Santi Pietro e Paolo

0.03 MILES

Next to the cathedral, the Basilica dei Santi Pietro e Paolo sports a wonderfully light, 18th-century facade. To the right of it, the Palazzo Municipale…

2. Basilica di San Sebastiano

0.11 MILES

The Basilica di San Sebastiano is one of Acireale's finest baroque buildings. Guarded by statues of Old Testament characters, the basilica lifts the…

3. Santa Maria la Scala

0.47 MILES

There are two reasons to make the 2km downhill walk to this minute fishing village. One is the walk itself, which, once you've crossed the main road, is a…

4. Teatro-Museo dell'Opera dei Pupi

2.23 MILES

Acireale has a long tradition of puppet theatre, and you can learn all about it here. One-hour guided tours of the museum are available in English, albeit…

5. Castello Normanno

4.17 MILES

Built in the 13th century, this dark, brooding Norman castle sits over an earlier Arab fortification. It's in surprisingly good shape considering its age,…

6. Le Ciminiere

7.97 MILES

Le Ciminiere is a modern museum complex housed in a converted sulphur refinery. The most interesting of its museums is the Museo Storico dello Sbarco in…

7. Museo del Cinema

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Located at Le Ciminiere – a converted sulphur refinery – the Museo del Cinema explores the evolution of movie making. Exhibition translations are poor,…

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