Church of San Gerolamo in Francofonte
Davide Mauro - CC4.0
The church of San Gerolamo in Francofonte occupies a scenic position within the historic center of the city.
The foundation of the building took place in 1681. The small size of the church and its recent construction meant that it resisted the devastating force of the earthquake of 1693, albeit suffering some damage.
The gabled facade is made with ashlars of exposed sandstone and is bordered on the sides by Tuscan pilasters. The portal, with elegant carvings, is framed by two small pilasters with Ionic style capitals. In the upper part of the facade there is a large window with a segmental arch, and two marble plaques, commissioned by the Prince of Palagonia, which testify to the restoration work that took place following the earthquake of 1693.
The bell tower stands on a plant of m. 2.00 x 2.00, on the first order you can admire the eighteenth-century votive aedicule of the "Madonna della Catena" but totally rebuilt in 1953. On the second order is the civic clock (stopped since December 1990), surrounded by an elegant decoration Baroque, with a pair of male caryatids supporting two Corinthian capitals and a crowning band in which three angels' heads are sculpted, the whole is completed by a small dome on which an elegant grating supporting two small bells is fixed. A small door on the left. of the tower leads inside and to the short spiral staircase that connects the two levels.
The bell tower of the building is of particular value. The tower is divided into two orders surmounted by a small dome on which an elegant grating supporting two small bells is fixed. On the first order is the eighteenth-century votive aedicule of the Madonna della Catena, but rebuilt in 1953. On the second order is the civic clock, surrounded by an elegant Baroque decoration, with a pair of male caryatids supporting two Corinthian capitals and a crowning band in which three angel heads are carved.
Inside the church of particular value are: the Caltagirone ceramic floor dating back to before the 19th century, unfortunately very ruined ; the stuccos and frescoes on the walls and on the vault dating back to 1693.
