The Cathedral of Acireale shows a noble aspect, accentuated by the alternately light and dark color of the stones used in the facade, and by the scenic square which borders with it on the south side.
The style of the facade appears difficult to define even for those having some notion of architectural history. In fact, the part surrounding the main portal was built at the end of the 17th century (in particular the sculptural group above the portal, the "Annunciation" dates from 1668-1672), while the tower on the right side of the facade was begun at the time of the substantial reconstruction of the church (on the foundations of an older and more humble church) in the mid-16th century. Therefore, despite the appearances of this tower (which recall the so-called Arab-Norman style) there is nothing properly medieval here. As for the left tower, the loggia with small columns and the rose window, they are even a "neo-Gothic" construction from the 1880s.
This chronology well reflects the history of Acireale, whose conspicuous size and prosperity is late: it dates after 1528, the year in which, under the reign of Emperor Charles V in Sicily, through the payment of a conspicuous sum Acireale acquired the status of "state-owned city", i.e. not subject to any feudal lord, but directly to the king (hence its name). Suffice it to say that in 1669 (the date of the eruption of Etna which partially invested Catania) Acireale had 11,000 inhabitants, therefore slightly less than the 16,000 of Catania.
The interior of the church is clearly of late Baroque style (therefore after the disastrous earthquake of 1693). I would like to underline just a few salient features of this interior.
The frescoes on the vault of the right transept and on the walls of the left transept, by Pietro Paolo Vasta, a notable painter from Acireale (1697-1760) depict respectively the "Glory of Santa Venera", the killing of Abel and the sacrifice of Isaac.
The Chapel of Santa Venera, still in the right transept, with exuberant sculptural decoration, is evidence of the veneration of the inhabitants of Acireale for this patron saint of the city. The fact that the de facto existence of the saint has recently been so questioned by the Catholic Church, as to lead to her exclusion from the latest edition (2004) of the official document called "Martyrologium Romanum", evidently has little influence on this cult.
In the first span of the left aisle of the church, the sumptuous "fercolo", i.e. the triumphal chariot on which the statue of Santa Venera is transported through the town every 26 July, also bears witness to this cult.
Finally, in the floor of the transept, the sundial created by the Danish mathematician Friedrich Peters in 1843 (as far as I know assisted by the German geologist Wolfgang Sartorius, a distinguished scholar of Etna) doesn't escape attention.
Overall, this Cathedral (bishop's seat since 1872) deserves an unhurried visit, as it's a strong element of the city's identity, as well as of its architectural skyline.