CHURCH OF THE CARMINE
Built in the 18th century at the entrance to the new town center, the Church of the Carmine inherited the devotion of an ancient 15th-century Carmelite complex destroyed by the 1693 earthquake.
Built in the 18th century at the entrance to the new town center, the Church of the Carmine inherited the devotion of an ancient 15th-century Carmelite complex destroyed by the 1693 earthquake. The building is a refined example of Hyblaean architecture, characterized by a scenic “tower” façade in white stone divided into two orders: the first in Doric style with a large portal, and the second in Ionic style, culminating in a three-light bell loggia that stretches the entire structure toward the sky.
The interior features a single long nave with a structure of five bays on each side.
The wall arches house altars dedicated to the Crucifix, the Redeemer, the Archangel Raphael, and Saint Paul the Apostle.
The barrel vault ceiling and the limestone slab floor frame the high altar, where the Madonna of Carmel is venerated.
Of particular value is the presbytery, embellished with polychrome decorations and bas-reliefs narrating biblical scenes, witnessing the skill of local stonemasons in shaping living stone into sacred narrative.
