Church of Sant'Oliva in Alcamo
The Church of Sant'Oliva in Alcamo overlooks Piazza Ciullo.
It was built in 1533 and was rebuilt in 1724 in Sicilian Baroque style based on a project by the architect Giovan Biagio Amico.
The The façade has two portals, the main one overlooks Piazza Ciullo, the lateral one, above which a statue of Saint Oliva is positioned, overlooks Corso VI Aprile. In conjunction with the Jubilee, both the original doors of the church were replaced with two in bronze made by the architect Vincenzo Settipani, representing Jesus entering the Cenacle behind closed doors and Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. The bell tower rises on a corner of the church adjacent to Corso VI Aprile.
The interior, with a single nave, is decorated with stuccos by Gabriele Messina and Francesco and Giuseppe Russo. The altars are adorned with beautiful carved polychrome marbles by Mariano and Simone Pennino.
Inside the church there are works of great value: the statue of Santa Oliva by Antonello Gagini, considered one of the artist's most beautiful works; the Annunciation, a marble group sculpted in 1545 by Antonino and Giacomo Gagini; the marble sculptures of the Gagini school depicting San Luca and Sant'Angelo; the statue of Sant’Eligio in white marble sculpted by Filippo Pennino in 1767; two holy water fonts on either side of the entrance, by Mariano Pennino; the statue of St. Joseph with the child, attributed to Girolamo Bagnasco in the mid-nineteenth century; a canvas ascribable to Pietro Novelli in 1639, entitled "The Souls of Purgatory".
