Church of Santa Maria dell'Odigitria in Mineo
The church of Santa Maria dell'Odigitria is located in the western part of the city of Mineo, in the place where one of the ancient city gates called Porta di S. Maria degli Angeli stood in the Middle Ages.
The building was built in the period Byzantine, the current appearance is due to a restoration carried out following the earthquake of 1959.
The facade has a crowning consisting of the imposing stone entablature, above which a bell tower rises, connected by volutes, consisting of three openings , of which the central one consists of a round arch of greater height. The bell tower is crowned by a triangular pediment.
The interior with a single nave ends with a semicircular apse.
Inside the church there are various works of particular artistic value: two wooden statues from the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli di S. Maria degli Angeli depicting a S. Anna sitting with her daughter and the other Maria SS. of the Angels, both sculpted by a master hand; a marble statue, a third carved in marble depicting the Madonna dell 'Help which was sculpted for the devotion of Matteo Mauro Garroni; the altarpieces depicting S. Pasquale Nylonon with S. Agrippina, the marriage of the Madonna SS. with St. Joseph and also images such as the Sacred Heart, the Addolorata, St. Francis of Assise, St. Anthony of Padua and St. Filomena.
