Basilica Cattedrale "Santa Maria Assunta"

During my visits to Rome and Istanbul, I saw many churches, but this one easily measures up. Influenced by Byzantine style and reflecting traces of many cultures, it’s a truly captivating structure. When you go, don’t forget to light a candle and take a photo from the view by the nearby clock tower.

Exquisite structure inside out. I spent two hours admiring both the interior and the exterior of this unique cathedral.

The world's largest mechanical clock. At 12:00 noon everyday, this clock comes to life. People move, a lion roars, a rooster crows and a building appears in a picture. We walked the city, ate at a couple of restaurants and bought souvenirs at local shops.

It is a beautiful Basilica. If you visit at noon, the lion in the tower roars, the rooster crows, and a full beautiful, version of Ave Maria rings out.

This church is a stunning place. Amazing architecture with beautiful painting ceilings.

Amazing. Didn't enter previous visit but did this time & WOW. Free entry to church & the inside is beautiful. Outside is the square & clock tower which is the main draw card, but they would be amazed if they had taken the time to enter.

Very nice and simple interior. Big enough and nice decorations

Ah this was a highlight at noon when the astronomical clock plays, there were over a 1000 people standing for the full 12 min,, what a wonderful sight and sound very close to the cruise terminal, definitely a must see. Loved the atmosphere

Refer to my other prior Mediterranean cruise reviews of Kusadasi, Ephesus, Galataport Istanbul, the Sultan Ahmet Camii - Blue Mosque, the Obelisk of Theodosius, the Serpent Column and the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque in Istanbul. This was also our first time to visit Messina, Sicily, Italy. Sicily, the largest Mediterranean island, is located just off the "toe" of Italy's "boot." Messina Cathedral, locally known as the Duomo di Messina or the Basilica Cathedrale metropolitana di Santa Maria Assunta is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Messina, Sicily, Italy. Formerly the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Messina, it became in 1986 the archiepiscopal seat of the Archdiocese of Messina-Lipari-Santa Lucia del Mela. In June 1947 Pope Pius XII granted it the status of a minor basilica. Built by the Normans, it was consecrated in 1197 by the Archbishop Berardo. Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor and Constance I of Sicily were present to witness the ceremony. The current building is the final result of some twentieth-century reconstructions, which took place following the disastrous earthquake that struck Messina in 1908 and the considerable damage that resulted from the heavy aerial bombardment in World War II. Only the perimeter walls, the Gothic portal and an apse remained standing after the catastrophic earthquake which also destroyed surrounding edifices in Piazza Duomo. In 1943 incendiary bombs fell on the restored roof destroying much of its interior. Only an original mosaic and statue survived. The cathedral includes a two story museum. This Catholic cathedral has a unique large mechanical clock featuring the noontime movement of bronze statues with a roaring lion and music. It attracts a large crowd at noontime. See my pics and videos to appreciate this historic Roman Catholic cathedral. We took our tour bus back to our cruise port. Our next port of call is Napoli or Naples, the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of almost 1 million.

I am not a religious person, but even I could appreciate the beauty and incredible design and structure of Duomo di Messina. Located in a large square this giant tower and cathedral sits in the open with a show at noon every single day. We came here on Thursday and got to witness that show in person it was a spectacle I'm glad I got to see. The lion on the top roars, music echoes from the tower, and the little men walk around all during a 12 minute performance. After watching the show (and purchasing a magnet) I ventured inside of the church and was not expecting the ceiling to be as detailed and articulate as it was. The church itself was beautiful and filled with hand painted and crafted structures that I'm sure were just as old as Italy itself (you get what I mean). Overall, If you find yourself crossing into Messina and have the chance to see the noon performance, I would definitely recommend checking it out, It's a beautiful site.

Very beautiful! This is also where all the hop on hop off buses are, and many people selling souvenirs.

Our group stopped at the Cathedral I'm Messina. It can only be called Spectacular . It is well worth a visit inside and out! The inside is very large with a spectacular organ. They were preparing for a funeral so we only had a few minutes for our visit. I hope to go back and hear music in side the Sanctuary.

The Duomo is a short walk from the cruise terminal which makes it easy to find, precarious traffic not withstanding It's peaceful and calming inside. No pews, just folding chairs but soul soothing all the same. We admired the ornate interior with various sculptures. Afterwards, we walked past the solitary Statue of the Immaculate di Marmo outside. The Fontana di Orion, founder of Messina, as carved by a Michelangelo's disciple, looking neglected is nearby. Around the corner is the town square where we encountered a number of panhandlers and aggressive vendors selling souvenirs. The front of the cathedral connects to the famous mechanical astronomical clock tower. Our afternoon visit timing was inopportune since it's way past the glorious noon display of all moving parts. In a short time we covered all the major highlights accessible on foot. Overall, the gritty, industrial feel of the surrounding area was a turnoff, especially under the hot blazing sun. Shops were not open; we surmises probably because it's around 2 in the afternoon siesta time. We hastily retreated back to the comfort embrace of our cruise ship.