Ancient Cathedral in Milazzo
The Ancient Cathedral of Milazzo, also known as the Ancient Cathedral of Santo Stefano Protomartire, stands on the esplanade of the Walled City of Milazzo.
It was built starting in 1608 and completed in the second half of the 1600s, replacing the previous church of Santa Maria which had been demolished to build the Spanish Wall of the Fortified City. On the esplanade there were four churches and three civil buildings. During the eighteenth century further works were carried out, such as the construction of the new sacristy. The Cathedral was initially entitled to Santa Maria Assunta, in memory of the old church demolished, in 1678 it was dedicated to Santo Stefano, patron saint of Milazzo.
The main facade, of late sixteenth-century imprint, is characterized by pilasters in Syracusan stone with composite and Corinthian capitals, and is divided into two orders by a frame. In the first order, two Corinthian half-columns support a broken tympanum that makes room for a shrine with a statue of the Madonna and Child flanked by two Mannerist angels. The second order is dominated by a rectangular window, flanked by a zodiac and a sundial. The crowning of the upper part lacks the belfry, which collapsed in the early 1900s. The roof is characterized by a central dome without a drum and four side domes. The Main Dome has no drum, at the base there are four round windows and ends in a lantern. In the squares that separate the four round windows there are three figures who were probably part of a group of four saints: San Leone II, San Demetrio, San Nicola, San Papino.
The interior has an atrium that leads into the large square room, divided by powerful arches on Corinthian pillars, forming four corner chapels. On the right, in the domed chapel, few elements of an inlaid marble altar remain. The great altar of the Crucifix follows. Opposite, however, is the rectangular compartment of the choir which is completely empty: the inlaid altar was, in fact, transferred to the Church of San Giacomo. On the sides are two deep semicircular apses. On the left side is the altar of St. Stephen which preserves the beautiful aedicule inlaid on gray marble columns with Corinthian capitals, little angels on the crown and the frontal inlaid with spirals which has a central shield with the figure of the Protomartyr. On the back wall there are the remains of a tempera painting, previous to the current arrangement, with the Magdalene at the feet of Jesus. The altar of the left apse, dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament, is partially destroyed.
Two spiral staircases, carved into the powerful thickness of the walls, on the sides of the main door, lead to the belfry.
A crypt with seats within niches is located under the choir and burials are distributed throughout the church.
