Church of Calvary in Militello in Val di Catania
The Church of the Santissimo Crocifisso al Calvario in Militello in Val di Catania is an ancient place of worship that stands on top of the Caruso hill, in a dominant position with respect to the town, from which you can enjoy a splendid panorama.
The date of construction is not known but it is certain that it already existed in 1503, the year in which it is mentioned in an episcopal decree. Its current appearance is due to renovations carried out in the following century: three apses surmounted by a blind octagonal lantern were added. The earthquake of 1693 caused extensive damage to the structure and the death of at least one hundred faithful. Towards the middle of the eighteenth century it was repaired and enriched with stucco, new altars and sacred furnishings.
The façade has a portico supported by pilasters that turn at the corners that enclose round arches with moldings, and which support a high trabeation. The portico was built in 1762 based on a design by the Catania architect Francesco Battaglia. The entrance body has a rectangular portal with a molded frame ending with a triangular frontispiece, surmounted by a rectangular window. On the sides, the doors of the nave and chapels are connected by semicircular steps to the floor level.
The interior, with a Latin cross plan with the apse enclosed by a lantern and flanked by two lobes containing the smaller chapels, features valuable eighteenth-century stucco.
Among the works kept in the church, of particular value are: an eighteenth-century wooden Crucifix, the object of particular veneration during the period of Lent; the canvases of Christ at Calvary (which was stolen), Christ mocked, Christ flagellated and Christ in the garden, works by Giovanni Meli from 1740.
In the space in front of the Church of the Santissimo Crocifisso al Calvario, the evocative rite of the crucifixion and deposition of Jesus takes place every year during Holy Week in Militello in Val di Catania.
