Basilica of Sant'Antonio Abate in Francofonte
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The Basilica of Sant'Antonio Abate in Francofonte is the mother church of the town.
The date of construction of the church is not known but it is certain that it existed before 1360, the date of the foundation of the town. According to some studies it is believed that the foundation of the church dates back to the end of the 12th century. There is much evidence to support this hypothesis: the church stands on top of the hill, at a higher altitude than the castle, so it is probable that it existed before the construction of the castle (14th century), a construction which, due to its function, it always rises in the highest part of each country; the plan of the church, with three naves, a transept and a tri-apse base, is typical of the buildings of the Romanesque and Gothic period; in an inventory of 1563 among the objects preserved in the church there are four Gallican missals, objects dating back to the early years of the fourteenth century.
The devastating earthquake of 1693 caused extensive damage to the structure of the church, even many parts were kept in the subsequent reconstruction and restoration work.
the facade, with live ashlars, in Romanesque style, has a gabled structure with the highest central part above which rises the bell tower. The decorations of the three portals and the windows above are the only Baroque elements present on the façade. A small bas-relief depicting Sant'Antonio Abate, coming from the original church, is placed above the arch of the central portal.
The interior is divided into three naves by six pairs of cruciform pillars, which according to tradition enclose the original medieval columns. The pillars end with elegant Corinthian-style capitals.
Among the works kept inside the church, of considerable value are: a painting attributed to Pietro Novelli, a pupil of Caravaggio; the eighteenth-century and very precious monstrance created by the craftsmen of Messina; a canvas depicting the Madonna of the Rosary, from the Novelle school.
