Capuchin Church in Naro
The Church of the Holy Spirit, better known as the Church of the Capuchins, is an important place of worship that bears witness to the history and religious culture of Sicily.
The church and the adjoining convent were built in 1551, near the Caves of San Cataldo, outside the city walls, at the behest of the Capuchin Fathers led by Father Luca da Naro of the Palmeri family. It underwent a major expansion in 1554 and further renovations in the following centuries.
The simple stone façade features a single portal surmounted by a rectangular window.
The interior, with a single nave, had numerous works of art, many of which were lost following the suppression of the religious congregations in 1866.
Among the works now kept in the valuable church are the eighteenth-century high altar and a statue of the Madonna.
Recent restoration work has brought to light the underground burial areas of the Capuchins, dating back to 1728.
Today it is possible to observe only a few remains of the ancient convent which suggest that the original structure of the complex developed around an internal courtyard. The only architectural element worthy of note is a portal in tuff stone, with austere and simple lines.
The Convent owned a notable library, which after the Suppression of the religious Congregations in 1866 passed to the Feliciana Municipal Library of Naro where, even today, precious manuscripts can be admired.
