Studies for the construction of the grand Baroque basilica began in the early eighteenth century, following reconstruction in 1693 post-earthquake. The cathedral dedicated to St. Nicholas represents one of the most significant Baroque monuments in southeastern Sicily. Because of the size of the monument and of its central and dominant position in the urban configuration of the notorious Baroque.
Estia was called in to tackle the challenging job of restoring the exterior stone surfaces and interior decorative apparatus. The work involved the complete restoration, both conservative and aesthetic , of all the limestone surfaces of the four exterior elevations in addition to the surviving portions of the dome and drum and the monumental staircase. The interior restoration was aimed at recovering the chapels and stone and stucco elements that survived the collapse. A substantial amount of effort was devoted to the reassembly and following reassembly of the equipment.
