Church of San Francesco in Petralia Sottana
The Church of San Francesco di Petralia Sottana is one of the highest examples of Barocchetto Madonita.
The church and adjoining convent of San Francesco dei Frati Minori Conventuali, today the seat of the Civic Museum, they were founded in 1484. In the second half of the 17th century the building underwent a profound restoration which changed the decorative apparatus according to the style of the time.
The facade is embellished with a valuable white stone portal rebuilt in 1896. On the left there is a plaque dated 28 April 1862 which shows the "information between the ancient measures with the decimal metric".
The interior, with a single nave, has a dense decoration with frescoes depicting the life of St. Francis, the Virgin, Jesus and significant moments for the Franciscans attributed to Gaspare Vazzano. The hat and the main altar, remade by Baron Egidio Pucci who acquired the right of patronage in 1711, present a decorative cycle dedicated to moments in the life of Christ Child and the Paradise of the Lord.
Of particular value is the eighteenth-century canvas depicting Sant'Egidio attributed to Antonino Grano, placed on the high altar.
