Church of Sant'Agata al Collegio in Caltanissetta
The Church of Sant'Agata al Collegio di Caltanissetta is a seventeenth-century Jesuit church located in the main street of the city, Corso Umberto.
At the end of the sixteenth century, Luisa Moncada and her son, Prince Francesco, together with other initiatives, invited in the city the Jesuit order, for which they built the church, dedicated to Sant'Agata, and the adjoining college.
Construction began in 1588, based on a project by the Jesuit architect Alfio Vinci, then replaced by 'arch. Natale Masucci.
The façade, on three orders, dates back to the seventeenth century, except for the portal by Marabitti, from the eighteenth century, which was made of white stone, in contrast with the material of the rest of the façade, in red sandstone. < br> The elegant entrance portal is flanked by two Corinthian columns on which the broken curvilinear tympanum and a shield with two cherubs sculpted by Ignazio Marabitti stand out.
The church has a Greek cross plan, with four arms of equal length and four side chapels. The interior is covered with marble slabs with the initials "IHS", identifying the Jesuit order. and and is decorated with stucco work by the Serpotta brothers of 1647.
The large building of the college is now home to the Luciano Scarabelli Municipal Library and the Vincenzo Bellini Higher Institute of Musical Studies.
