Basilica collegiata di San Sebastiano

The Basilica Collegiata di San Sebastiano is a Roman Catholic Baroque collegiate basilica fronting the Piazza Lionardo Vigo in the heart of Acireale, Sicily, and stands as one of the most elaborate examples of Sicilian Baroque ecclesiastical architecture. Construction began in 1609, rooted in the Counter-Reformation impulse to assert Catholic grandeur through architecture. The church gained collegiate status in 1924 and was elevated to a minor basilica in 1990, and is protected as an Italian national monument. Its ornate facade — layered with pilasters, niches, and statuary — exemplifies the exuberant decorative vocabulary of the Sicilian Baroque. The basilica remains an active place of worship and houses relics of Saint Sebastian, the city's patron saint.