Chiesa di San Nicolò ai Cordari

The basilica-sanctuary Madonna delle Lacrime is a Marian sanctuary erected in memory of the miraculous tearing of a plaster effigy representing the Virgin Mary in 1953. The work was designed in 1957 by the French architects Michel Andrault and Pierre Parat following an international competition, but the structural works are by the engineer Riccardo Morandi. Built between 1966 and 1994, the church was elevated to the status of a minor basilica by John Paul II in 2002.

The church of St. Lucia was built around 1100 by the Normans with a basilica plan closed by apses. Later additions and modifications have changed its appearance since the 14th century when the rose window on the façade was added. Further modifications were made during the 17th century, probably by Giovanni Vermexio, who built the nearby Church of the Sepulchre shortly afterwards (1629), although there is no definite documentation on this. In 1693, the earthquake caused extensive damage, leading to the necessary reconstruction work, with the addition of the portico (1723-34) on the façade, attributed to Pompeo Picherali (collapsed in 1970 and then rebuilt), who was also responsible for the last commission for the tower in 1740.

The Cathedral of the Nativity of Mary Most Holy, built in the 7th century, is incorporated in what was the main sacred temple of Doric style of the Greek colony of Syracuse, dedicated to Athena. After being damaged during the earthquake in Sicily in 1693, it was restored in a rococo style in the 18th century. Since 2005, the cathedral is protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.