Church of Saint Nicholas in Castelbuono
The Church of San Nicola in Castelbuono is a Baroque-style place of worship.
The date of construction of the building is unknown, but it is certain that it already existed in the 14th century. It stands on a hill, now incorporated into the urban fabric, where in the Middle Ages there was a funerary chapel dedicated to San Nicola and the souls in purgatory. It is also believed that in this place there was even a pagan necropolis with a relative small temple. Furthermore, the fact that the building is raised above street level suggests that in the past there were underground rooms or a crypt.
The simple rectangular façade, adorned only with a valuable marble portal, is characterised by the presence of a small bell tower made of red bricks that rises to the right of the building.
The interior, whose plan is similar to a Greek cross, features sumptuous stucco decorations in Baroque-Rococo style.
Among the works kept in the church, of particular value are: the canvas of the Madonna Ausiliatrice placed on the high altar; the sixteenth-century wooden statues of San Biagio and San Nicola; two precious frescoes, recently brought to light, depicting San Michele and the Angel of the Souls in Purgatory on the sides of the chapel.
