Church of Santa Caterina in Montalbano Elicona
The Church of Santa Caterina in Montalbano Elicona is one of the religious buildings of greatest architectural interest in the village. In fact, the church constitutes one of the few examples of Catalan architecture present in Sicily.
It was built in 1344 probably on the site where an ancient place of worship once stood.
The façade features a Catalan Gothic style portal and other architectural elements the result of the various renovations carried out over the centuries: the brackets and the moulding, typical of the Renaissance style, create a harmonious union with the Ghibelline battlement, used as an element of roof covering, with the acrotheium which crowns the corners of the facade and the bell vaults.
The interior, with a single nave, has an articulated plan as the sacristy is located between the presbytery and the remaining forepart. The presbytery was created from an ancient tower located close to the city walls.
Inside there are various valuable architectural elements: the seventeenth-century supports sculpted from the trusses; the checkerboard triumphal arch; the cross vault of the presbytery typical of Frederick's buildings.
Inside the church is kept the precious statue of the Gagini school of Santa Caterina. The marble statue portrays the Saint in the moment before suffering martyrdom.
Another valuable element is the parapet of the altar on which the Lord's Supper is depicted, a work attributed to the school of Guido Reni.
