Church of Purgatory in Biancavilla
The Church of Purgatory in Biancavilla is a small religious building that stands along the main street, in the heart of the historic center of the city.
It was built in 1681 at the behest of Don Santo Rametta, who built the church at his own expense. In 1940, due to the poor state of maintenance, the church was closed for worship and used as a warehouse. Only in the year 2000 was it restored and reopened for worship.
The façade is in neo-Gothic style with a high portal surmounted by a pointed arch. The portal has a finely sculpted frame with two decorated twisted columns which also extend into the pointed arch. The portal is surmounted by a stone rose window carved in neo-Gothic style. Neo-Gothic motifs also enrich the cornice at the top of the structure.
The interior, with a single nave, has three altars: the main one and two lateral ones. On the main altar there is the canvas "The Crucifixion" from 1791, the work of Giocchino Chitè. On the sides are the canvases "The Adoration", a work by Giuseppe Tamo da Brescia from the early 18th century, and the simulacrum of the Madonna Addolorata from the 18th century, attributed to the Rosselli workshop, made with the face, hands and feet in wax and silk dresses with gold embroidery.
