Founded in 1596 by Bishop Juan Pedro González de Mendoza to encourage settlement in an area then known as Baia della Calandra, which was vulnerable to Barbary corsair raids, the Minor Roman Basilica of San Cristoforo serves as the main church in the village of Canneto on Lipari. The structure was moved to its current location in 1864, finished in the early 20th century, and extensively rebuilt between 1924 and 1928. Consecrated by Archbishop Giovanni Marra on June 8, 2003, it was granted the title of minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 2004.
What to see
The two-tiered facade is connected by scroll volutes and opens onto a small balustraded forecourt with a two-tone geometric pavement. Its cornices bear inscriptions commemorating the years 1594 and 2004. The lower story is divided by pilasters above three portals displaying the papal insignia with the motto "TOTUS TUUS", the heraldic coat of arms of the basilica, and archiepiscopal heraldry with a green twenty-tasseled galero. The upper story features a central window flanked by statues of Saints Peter and Paul, topped by a clock pediment and a statue of Christ the Redeemer—sculptures blessed in Rome by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006. Inscriptions on the counter-facade record the papal decrees of 2004 and 2006.
Inside, the central nave was decorated in 1950, followed by the side aisles in 1955 and the choir loft in 1958, accompanied by marble cladding, benches, and chandeliers from the 1950s. The right aisle holds a marble baptismal font, papier-mâché statues of Saint Onuphrius the Anchorite, Our Lady of Tears, and Saint Joseph, a resin group of Saint John Bosco and Saint Dominic Savio, and an 18th-century canvas of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle positioned above an early 20th-century mechanical pipe organ with nearly 500 pipes. The left aisle features a marble dedication inscription, statues of Saint Rita of Cascia, Saint Anthony of Padua, Our Lady of the Chain, and an image of Our Lady of Sorrows crafted as a dressed Virgin following Iberian traditions. The presbytery contains the 1932 Lourdes Chapel in the right absidiola and a high altar featuring a small temple frame housing a 19th-century wooden statue of Saint Christopher.
Visiting
The basilica serves as an active parish church for Canneto. Religious feast celebrations for Saint Christopher take place annually on July 25.
Our editors' tip
Pay close attention to the statue of Our Lady of Sorrows in the left aisle, which stands as the church's sole example of Spanish-style clothed religious statuary.