Sanctuary of the Addolorata in Agrigento
The Sanctuary of the Addolorata of Agrigento , also known as church of Maria Santissima Dei Sette Dolori , is one of the most important Catholic Marian places of worship in Agrigento and is home to a of the oldest brotherhoods of the city, the brotherhood of Maria Santissima Dei Sette Dolori .
It was built in the seventeenth century by Sicilian workers, incorporating a pre-existing sacred shrine. The church is perched on a limestone wall, close to Porta Garibaldi.
During the construction of the church, two large cisterns of probable Greek origin were found. The two cisterns together with a third one, excavated by the brotherhood, were used as crypts. Today the spaces of the crypts are used as a museum .
The sober façade contrasts with the rich Baroque-style interior. Along the walls there are valuable stuccos by Serpotta and his school. The apse, covered by a basin vault, is partially excavated in the same limestone sandstone rock. Of particular interest is an eighteenth-century wooden statue depicting the Madonna Addolorata which adorns the high altar.
