Chiesa di Santa Caterina d'Alessandria - Sambuca di Sicilia

The church of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria and the remains of the monastery of the Benedictine Order form a monumental whole.

The founder of the women's institute in 1515 was Giovanni Domenico Giacone from Ireland.

The original structure included the church in the central part, the monastery in the left side, now used as a municipal office and parsonage, while on the right was the monastery bordering Via del Mercato (now Via Roma) and in the rear with Via Telegrafo.

The 1968 Belice earthquake severely damaged the monastery buildings , which were soon demolished to make way for the Piazza della Vittoria and the Monument to the Fallen.

The main facade , bounded by robust corner pilasters in stone, has an isosceles staircase that connects the roadway to the floor of the nave. The portal with architrave has a window with grille above it. The overhead perspective is closed by a simple cornice. On the sides of the large arch are two holy water jars.

The interior of the church is in a state of disrepair . Rectangular structure with one nave. Two marble altars on the side wall, Burgio majolica floor from the second half of the eighteenth century.

The decorative stucco work was one of the first youth works of Vincenzo Messina, a student educated at the Serpotta School. The ornaments include surrounding statues depicting the allegories of the four incarnate virtues , placed on the sides of the first two altars of the nave.

The vault depicts the mystical marriage of Saint Catherine , created by Fra Felice da Sambuca.

willem vandenameele