Cathedral of San Bartolomeo in Lipari
The Cathedral of San Bartolomeo in Lipari, dedicated to the Patron Saint of Lipari and Protector of the Aeolian Islands, stands in the heart of the historic center of Lipari, inside the Castle. The Cathedral of San Bartolomeo is the most important building on the island and is the main place of worship of the entire Aeolian archipelago. It was in fact named by the inhabitants of the archipelago " Citatì ", meaning "the city", as it represented the beating heart of the entire Aeolian population. The cult of San Bartolomeo is in fact very much felt in the entire archipelago and has ancient origins: as early as the third century AD. Lipari with its Church of San Bartolomeo was the destination of numerous pilgrimages by faithful from all over the Mediterranean.
The first pagan construction of which there is no written documentation but which in any case dates back to the Hellenic period, several rebuildings followed in subsequent eras starting from the Arab era in 838, to the Norman era in 1130, to the contemporary one in 1861, during which an important reconstruction intervention took place following the collapse of the vault and the tympanum of the facade .
The Cathedral of San Bartolomeo is accessed via a suggestive staircase that raises it from street level and gives it a spectacular grandeur. The façade is divided into two orders, has a pyramidal structure and is characterized by the two-tone effect created by the use of light and dark stone. The first order has three portals embellished with Ionic columns and Corinthian capitals, in Neo-Baroque style. Windows and statues embellish the structure, which finds its apex with the splendid bell tower on its left.
The interior, divided into three naves, presents the central nave with a valuable vaulted roof rich in frescoes of biblical episodes of superb workmanship. In the side aisles, however, there are scenographic paintings, wooden busts and works of art of considerable value, set in round arches.
