In the course of the eighteenth century frescos with biblical scenes were painted on the vaults . In 1728 , the silver statue of the patron Bartholomew was created , as well as the wooden altar to the left of the apse , in thanksgiving for his protection during the 1693 Sicily earthquake , in which Lipari was unscathed . Between 1755 and the end of the century , work was begun on the campanile . In 1772 the cathedral was expanded with two side naves . The right side nave incorporated the north ambulatory of the cloisters . Work also began on the facade of pale Vesuvian stone in 1772 , intended to give a delicate contrast and sense of dynamic harmony with the interior of the duomo . In the last decades of the eighteenth century , marble altars decorated with paintings by Antonio Mercurio were added . In 1859 the cathedral was struck by lightning , destroying the gable of the facade and the causing some vaults to collapse . Repair work began immediately and was completed in 1861 . The lost ceiling paintings have never been restored
1693 Sicily earthquake
1693 Sicily earthquake
Lipari Cathedral