Basilicas in Italy—Northwestern Sicily

Cathedral Basilica of the Transfiguration, Cefalu, Palermo

Has been considered a minor basilica for centuries.

The Basilica is the cathedral for the Diocese of Cefalu. It was built using a Sicilian-Norman Byzantine Romanesque style. Construction began in 1131 and continued into the next century. Mosaics cover almost 6500 square feet in the church. The Cloister is noted for its artistic beauty.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Agatha, Montemaggiore Belsito, Palermo

Has been considered a minor basilica for centuries.

The Basilica was built in 1600 and has several paintings.

Both pictures are from local sources.

Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity, Palermo, Palermo

Has been considered a minor basilica for centuries.

The Norman-Gothic Basilica was built in the late 12th Century when Palermo was the capital of the Norman Kingdom of Sicily. A major renovation took place in the 19th Century.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica Cathedral of St. Lawrence Martyr, Trapani, Trapani

Has been considered a minor basilica for centuries.

The Basilica serves as the Cathedral for the Diocese of Trapani. The church was built in the 1400s, but its appearance today comes mostly from an 18th Century renovation. The church has several notable paintings, including a 1640 painting of the Crucifixion by Van Dyck.

The first picture is from Pinterest and the rest are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Peter, Trapani, Trapani

Has been considered a minor basilica for centuries.

St. Peter’s dates to possibly the First Century which would make it the oldest church in Trapani. The current building was mostly built in the 1700s.

The first picture is from a local source and the second is from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Nicolas, Trapani, Trapani

Has been considered a minor basilica for centuries.

Parts of the church date to 536. Originally built on the site of a Roman temple, the church has been restored and modified several times over the centuries. Substantial changes were made in the 18th Century and again after a 1968 earthquake.

Both pictures are from TripAdvisor

Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Palermo, Palermo

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1924.

The Franciscans started to build a church on this site in 1224 but due to political turmoil little was done until the late 13th Century. A major restoration took place in the 18th Century and an 1823 earthquake resulted in further restoration. The church received major damage by bombs in 1943 and today’s Basilica employs Gothic and Baroque styles.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Cathedral Basilica of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, Monreale, Palermo

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1926.

The Basilica is the Cathedral for the Archdiocese of Monreale. It was built between 1172 and 1267 employing mostly Norman Gothic architecture, with Renaissance and Baroque elements. The church has 70,000 square feet of mosaics from the 12th and 13th Centuries.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady of the Annunciation, Trapani, Trapani

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1950.

The Basilica was originally built by the Carmelites between 1315 and 1332 and was rebuilt and enlarged in 1760 in a Baroque-Renaissance style. The church contains the life-size Madonna of Trapani which dates to around 1300.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Abbey Basilica of St. Martin, San Martino delle Scale, Palermo

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Paul VI in 1966.

The origins of this Benedictine abbey church date possibly to the 6th Century although the current structure dates to the 16th Century. There are several paintings, some from the 17th Century.

The first picture is from Pinterest and the rest are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Assumption, Alcamo, Trapani

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Paul VI in 1969.

The Catalan Gothic church opened in 1402 and was rebuilt in the 17th Century. The neo-classical façade was added in 1786. There are 38 frescoes dating to the 18th Century. A notable relic is a thorn from Christ’s Crown of Thorns.

The first picture is from a local source and the others are from Wikipedia.

Cathedral Basilica of the Holy Savior, Mazara del Vallo, Trapani

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1980.

The Basilica is the Cathedral for the Diocese of Mazara del Vallo. The church was built between 1086 and 1093 on the site of a church destroyed by the Saracens in 828. It was renovated in 1477 and was largely reconstructed between 1690 and 1694. It was restored after a 1968 earthquake. It is built in a Sicilian Baroque style.