Mother Church in Ciminna
The Mother Church of Ciminna, dedicated to Santa Maria Maddalena, is the main building of worship in the village.
The date of construction of the original building is not known but it is certain that it already existed in 1230 and it is believed to be built together with the first inhabited nucleus of Ciminna, in a position adjacent to the ancient castle. It is hypothesized that it was destroyed during an Angevin raid in 1326, during which the castle was set on fire. It was built again in 1350 and today the remains of the crypt and the apse area remain of this church. Over the centuries the building has undergone important alterations, in particular in 1500 when the church was enlarged to its current size.
The façade, rebuilt following an earthquake which occurred in the 17th century, is characterized by the presence of carved stone relief elements, in Baroque style which stand out on the plastered wall. The red plaster finish of the main facade was introduced in the early twentieth century and replaced the original light coating. The façade, punctuated by white stone pilasters, is divided into two orders by a string course frame. On the first level, in a central position, there is the portal with a round arch in white stone with valuable carvings, surmounted by a slightly overhanging tympanum. On the second order we find a rose window surmounted by a broken tympanum and flanked by two volutes and the valuable statues depicting San Simone and San Vito which define the crowning of the sacred building.
The interior, divided into three naves by means of pillars, it is covered with decorative stucco. The stucco decorations of the main tribune carried out in 1622 by Scipione Li Volsi da Tusa, inspired by the destroyed tribune of the Cathedral of Palermo, and the stucco decorations of the Chapels of Santa Maria and the Blessed Sacrament, also works by Li, are valuable. Volsi.
There are numerous works kept in the church. Of particular value are: the local stone arch of the chapel of Saints Simon and Thaddeus, a marble polyptych attributed to Giacomo Gagini, a small wooden Crucifix and the Spasimo di Sicilia by Simone de Wobreck, all works dating back to the sixteenth century; the monumental sarcophagi of the Tantillo family, to which the Chief Medical Officer of the Kingdom of Sicily Giovanni Vincenzo belonged, and the processional fercolo of Sant'Antonio Abate, works from the seventeenth century; the canvas with Saint Benedict in glory signed by Filippo Randazzo and the wooden statue of Saint Andrew the Apostle by Filippo Quattrocchi, works dating back to the eighteenth century.
The church was used as a location to shoot part of the film The Leopard by Luchino Visconti.
