It’s only fitting that Marsala’s most imposing church is dedicated to Britain’s St. Thomas à Becket, given the English connections that brought the city such wealth over the centuries. Legend has it that a ship headed for England, carrying materials to build a church dedicated to Becket, was forced by a storm to seek haven at Marsala, and the crew simply built the church here instead. It’s more likely that the cultlike popularity of the saint, murdered in Canterbury cathedral in 1170, had spread as far as Sicily by the 13th century, when the church was founded. The most impressive decorative pieces in the three-aisle interior are also by outsiders—the Gaginis, a 15th-century family of Swiss sculptors who worked their way down the Italian boot until they reached Sicily, undertaking commissions in Palermo and elsewhere around the island. Their best work here, by Domenico Gagini, is lovely Madonna del Popolo in the right transept.
Marsala
Travel Guide
Marsala› Attraction
Chiesa Madre
Piazza della Repubblica
Our Rating
Hours
Daily 7:30am–7pm
Phone
0923/716295
Prices
Free
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.