The Christ the King Shrine dates back to the 1930s and is located on Principe Umberto Avenue, 60 meters above sea level. If you have traveled the Straits of Messina, you will surely have noticed all its grandeur. This neo-Baroque religious building is a very important place for the city of Messina, as its interior contains the remains of 1,288 Messina residents who fell during World War II.
The memorial was designed by Giovan Battista Milani and inaugurated in 1937. It occupies an area of 600 square meters in an area of the city where the castle of Rocca Guelfonia also called of Matagrifone once stood ( Rocca Guelfonia or Matagrifone castle in 1191 housed Richard "Lionheart" with his men, who were headed to the Holy Land during the Third Crusade).
The exterior of the Shrine of Christ the King The temple, in Baroque style, has a centric plan and is topped by a dome marked by eight ribs. At their base are as many bronze statues, modeled by Roman sculptor Theophilus Ray and depicting the cardinal and theological virtues. On the dome is a six-meter-high lantern and a one-meter sphere on which stands a cross. The entrance front is adorned with two figures representing Italy and Messina while on the entrance steps is a statue of Christ the King, created by sculptor Tore Edmondo Calabrò. The Sicilian sculptor is also the author of the statue of Our Lady of the Letter that stands in the harbor of Messina at the center of Fort San Salvatore. Next to the church stands what remains of the octagonal tower of the ancient castle where, in 1935, a 130-quintal bell was placed. It is one of the largest bells in Italy, made by casting the bronze from cannons taken from enemies during World War I. Inside the Shrine is a monument to the Unknown Soldier created by Antonio Bonfiglio. On the walls, on the other hand, are kept the remains of 110 fallen soldiers of World War I and 1,288 fallen soldiers of World War II, of whom 161 remained unknown. Most of the victims lost their lives in 1943 during the fighting to defend Sicily. Another plaque, however, commemorates the 21 sailors who fell in the naval battle of Punta Stilo on July 9, 1940. In addition to visiting the Upper and Lower Church inside, we recommend that you linger over the incredible view of the panorama of the natural harbor and part of the city of Messina.
