Chiesa Santissima Annunziata dei Catalani

Beautiful church. Very peaceful and lovely example of Norman architecture in Messina.

This is a beautiful building that is a must see in Messina. The building was built on the site of the pagan temple of Neptune, and from an architectural point of view, it is a building in the Byzantine orthodox style. You can basically find the same style in early medieval buildings in Jerusalem or Bethlehem. The temple has been perfectly preserved and has survived, almost in its original form, many wars, the invasion and departure of conquerors, the advent of various religions, and the departure of various historical events. I was wonderfully surprised by the extraordinary architecture of the temple.

What a beautiful church! I wish it had been open when I visited. But still it is located in the city center so definitely worth a visit.

Overlooked norman era church mixing romanesque and moorish styles. Interior seemed not open for visitors

The Santissima Annunziata dei Catalani church in Messina is one of the few buildings to have survived the devastating earthquake of 1908. Built between the 12th and 13th centuries on the ruins of the Temple of Poseidon, it combines Norman, Byzantine, Arab and Roman styles. The apse is remarkably well-preserved and is located three meters below the current street level. The church exudes silence and historical depth, and symbolically bears witness to the multicultural heritage of the city.

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.

Walking around the city of Messina without map, we stumbled upon this different-looking building so we went down to see what it had to offer us. It IS a church!!! It is rich in history (just google it, thanks :-) ) but to see it in person is magnificent! For someone who is keen on architecture, this is a good study!

Fantastic architecture and historical background - a don’t miss when in Messina and very close to the Duomo.