Church of Saint Pancrazio

The Church of Saint Pancrazio is one of the most important churches in Taormina not only because it hosts the statue of St. Peter’s every year from June 29 to July 9, the feast of the patron saint of Taormina, but also because it is the oldest place of worship in the city. The structure of the church, in fact, includes within it the earlier building of the temple of Jupiter Serapis. From the Arabs on, the temple was used as a Christian church. The interior of the church of San Pancrazio is characterized by a single nave, with wonderful floors and four polychrome altars. Even the main altar is characterized by polychrome surfaces and four columns in Taormina marble that support the top four marble angels that hold in their hands the symbols of the Christian world and the patron of the episcopal office. San Pancrazio came from Antioch and was a disciple of St. Peter in spreading the Gospel. Came to Taormina in 40 A.D. where he converted to Christianity several important personalities of the time, he was tortured and finally killed at the age of ninety. His body was at first in the church before being transferred to Rome in the cemetery of Calepodio year 902 A.D.