Church of San Bartolomeo in Giarratana
The Church of San Bartolomeo in Giarratana is a splendid building in Sicilian Baroque style. It is the main building of the city and is dedicated to the Patron Saint.
The ancient church already existed in 1308, as reported by historical sources, it was rebuilt in the mid-17th century and razed to the ground by the 1693 Val di Noto earthquake , which however spared the baroque altar. The new church was rebuilt following the earthquake in the southern part of the new inhabited center.
The current church has an imposing late Baroque style facade enriched by a suggestive staircase that connects it to the street level and which gives impetus to the whole building. The façade, embellished with supporting columns with Corinthian capitals, is divided into three architectural orders, the upper of which is the belfry. It has a large central entrance portal enriched by engravings and two equally spectacular lateral ones.
The interior has three naves separated by Doric columns, the central vault is enriched by stuccoes with floral motifs.
Among the works preserved inside the church, noteworthy are: the altarpieces "Madonna del Carmelo between two saints", "Madonna del Buon Consiglio with San Vincenzo Ferreri" and "The conversion of Paul", made by Marcello Vieri at the end of the 18th century; the 1736 canvas "Martirio di San Bartolomeo" by Antonio Balistreri inserted in an artistic frame of the seventeenth century, coming from the ancient pre-earthquake church.
