Basilica of San Paolo in Palazzolo Acreide
The Basilica of San Paolo di Palazzolo Acreide , one of the most important churches in the city, is named after the Patron Saint of the city and is distinguished by its splendid Baroque style Sicilian .
It was built between 1720 and 1730, following the earthquake of 1693, on the ruins of a small church dedicated to Santa Sofia.
The splendid façade, the work of Vincenzo Sinatra, is one of the finest examples of the local baroque. A particular staircase is inserted into the façade, arranged on two ramps of different widths.
The pronaos presents various admirable symbolic representations: on the right side door, in the ashlar key, with the symbol of the apostle Peter, while on the ashlar key of the left side door the symbol of the apostle Paul. The main door is in bronze, made up of four pairs of bas-reliefs depicting scenes from the life of the saint.
The façade is divided into three different orders, cadenced by arches and columns surmounted by Corinthian capitals: in the first order there are five arches, the middle ones separated from the central ones by two pairs of Corinthian columns resting on the wide plinth present on the whole the base of the building. In the second and third order the columns rise only in the central body. The second order has a central room with the statue of the blessing Christ flanked by two seraphim. At the ends are the statues of the apostles, also present in the third order, where the bell tower is located. On the top of the bell tower there is a spire with a frieze depicting a statue, on which a snake coils, which is inserted inside three royal crowns, symbols of the apostle Paul.
The interior of the basilica, with three naves, it has a very rich vault. In the main apse there are four polychrome spiral columns that act as a frame for the painting of the Conversion of Saint Paul, attributed to Giuseppe Crestadoro. Behind is the niche that houses the statue of the homonymous saint, made by Vincenzo Lorefice, in 1507.
Of considerable value are: the seventeenth-century wooden altar located in the right apse, called the Chapel of the Sacrament; four large sculpted cassarizzi, from 1778, works by Giovanni Torrisi and Gaetano Rametta, placed in the sacristy.
