At the end of the right aisle, there is a Latin epigraph that commemorates the foundation of the basilica. It reads: “Count Roger defeated the Saracens in a favourable battle, came to Caltagirone, and entered triumphantly through the city gate. In memory of the victory, he erected this temple to St. James and entrusted the protection of the city to him. Year 1090.”
The Basilica of San Giacomo has been rebuilt multiple times due to earthquakes and was heavily damaged by the bombings of 1943.
At the end of the 19th century, a bell tower adorned with four terracotta statues depicting the evangelists by the master Joachim Alì was added.
The Basilica of San Giacomo has an elegant baroque façade and a contemporary door, a true catechesis in bronze.
The church preserves several important items, including the relic of the arm of the Apostle St. James the Greater. This relic is kept inside a silver chest adorned with scenes from the life of the saint and statuettes depicting the apostles. Additionally, there is a precious chisel work by Nibilio and Giuseppe Gagini, a statue of St. James by Vincenzo Archifel, dated 1517, and the relic and the 18th-century statue of Blessed Lucia, the only one in the area for which the Church has established an official cult.
