Church of Santa Maria del Carmelo in Acireale
The Church of Santa Maria del Carmelo in Acireale and the adjoining convent constitute an ancient religious complex in the city. It is believed, in particular, that the convent is the oldest among the religious houses of Acireale, probably dating back to 1502.
The date of construction of the ancient building is not known but it is certain that the earthquake of 11 January 1693 destroyed a large part of the church and convent. They were both rebuilt, in larger forms, in the 18th century. The façade of the church was completed in 1797.
The façade, in Baroque style, completed in 1786, is delimited by convex pilasters for the entire height, and is decorated with columns and divided into three superimposed orders of decreasing size: the first order is marked by a pair of Ionic columns in light stone with Corinthian capitals that support a massive architrave that surmounts the only opening entrance; the second order is marked by a pair of lava stone columns which delimits the box where the clock is set. The clock face is surmounted by a broken arched gable; in the third order there are four lava stone columns, smaller in size than those of the orders below, which support the arched belfry surmounted by a wrought iron apical cross. The third order is connected to the first via scrolls; on the front and side buttresses, and on the projecting parts at the top, there are large ornamental stone vases.
The interior, with a single nave, has side walls marked by pilasters with three arches on each side intended for altars, and alternated by niches or small rooms. The central niche is decorated with pairs of twisted columns with alternating helical development, surmounted by a broken arched tympanum.
Among the works kept in the church, of notable artistic value are: the eighteenth-century statue of the Madonna del Carmelo; a Crucifix placed on a wooden reliquary structure with carved and gilded acanthus leaf decorations and motifs of exquisite baroque - rococo workmanship; the seventeenth-century wooden statue of Santa Venera, main patron saint of the city of Acireale; the oldest canvas in the church depicting the Presentation of Jesus in the temple, dating back to the school of Leonardo da Vinci.
The convent, largely in a dilapidated state, is against the left wall of the temple and presents a cloister and courtyard with a square plan.
