Cathedral of Santa Fara in Cinisi
The Cathedral of Santa Fara in Cinisi is the main place of worship in the town.
The construction work began in 1676 and was completed in 1680. The Mother Church of Santa Fara in Cinisi was built in a single nave to lack of space.
The main altar, adorned with precious marble and bands of coral and lapis lazuli, is surmounted by an artistic throne. In the side chapels are the statues of San Benedetto, San Giuseppe and the Patroness Santa Fara. A large crucifix stands out against the bare background of the chapel opposite that of the Patroness; the fifteen mysteries are painted in the arch, a valuable work of the Neapolitan school of the 18th century.
Of notable value are: the 18th-century panel painting, depicting the Patron Saint, placed above the main altar in a sumptuous gold frame sequin; the eighteenth-century statue of Sant'Anna with the child Madonna, placed near the chapel of Santa Fara, in front of the statue of San Francesco d'Assisi.
The Benedictine Fathers have left an interesting library made up of ancient works, some also written in Latin. There we find books of dogmatic and moral theology, of Sacred Scripture, of canon law, but also of science, history and literature, lives of the saints, dictionaries of various languages and encyclopaedias; some missals and choral books: illuminated manuscripts of great value, used by the monks for singing in the choir. Attached to the library is the exhibition hall of ancient sacred vestments.
Of notable interest are a series of crypts dating back to between the end of the 1600s and 1800s. The main crypt denounces its elitist destination due to the presence of the ceramic floor, a refined arrangement of the burials in niches and above all due to the presence of vertical niches intended to house corpses held by wrought iron nails which are still visible today. Next to the main crypt there are two rooms used as strainers, in which there are closed spaces where there are terracotta pipes and on which, once the corpses were placed and sealed by a slate slab, they were left to dry for about 8-12 months .
Remarks of considerable interest emerged from the emptying works: 43 crucifixes, 22 coins, one of which is gold and one silver, and 607 small bronze votive medals of rare workmanship, now restored and carefully kept in the parish. characterized by depictions of saints of extraordinary expressiveness.
