Ex Chiesa di San Gerlando - Sciacca

It is known that by the mid-14th century it was transferred to the Teutonic Knights (the meritorious religious order introduced to Sicily in 1197 with the favor of Henry VI) and later given under protection to the Catalan nobleman Antonio Pardo.

Opened for worship until 1595, then used as a warehouse for a long time and converted into a cinema a few years ago.

Fortunately, the beautiful local stone portal of the old church remains intact, with its characteristic lightning bolt decoration and the motif of the stylized palmette of Arab-Norman origin. The facade was originally crenellated, as can be seen upon careful examination. If you look at the facade you can catch a glimpse of the peaked battlements above. This use of the facades of crenellated churches, widespread in the Middle Ages, was common in other churches in Sciacca and is for defense reasons . It is reminiscent of the Templar church forts in France.
​

Willem Vandenameele