Early Christian Basilica of San Giovanni in Palagonia
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One of the most distinctive monuments of Palagonia is the Early Christian Basilica of San Giovanni. It is a place of great charm, which has been partially preserved in good condition, so it charms all those who go to this area of Sicily to be able to admire a site of worship but also of history.
For those wishing to visit the Early Christian Basilica of San Giovanni in Palagonia, here is all the information that can be useful for organizing a trip and also discovering other places of interest in the surrounding area.
History of the Early Christian Basilica of San Giovanni in Palagonia
The structure known as the Early Christian Basilica of San Giovanni in Palagonia dates back to the XNUMXth century AD and today only the apse and some external columns are well preserved.
In the documents that have been found in more recent times and which date back to the mid-sixteenth century it is known that the religious building was consecrated to theOrder of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, who probably subsidized the construction of the building in some way. In fact, from some excavations in the XNUMXs, it seems that the small church was part of a complex that also included the necropolis, since numerous bones have been found. After many years of total abandonment, during which the Paleochristian Basilica of San Giovanni in Palagonia was probably also the subject of thefts, in 2005 the Municipality of Palagonia decided to proceed with the safety of the site and its partial restructuring.
The architecture and any works of art present in the Early Christian Basilica of San Giovanni in Palagonia
As already underlined, only the apse and a few rows of columns remain today of the Paleo-Christian Basilica of San Giovanni in Palagonia, however scholars have managed to create a fairly precise reconstruction of how it must have been originally. First of all, it is a very simple structure, small in size, so much so that it is assumed that the faithful stopped outside to follow the religious functions. Furthermore, it is one of the rare examples of a basilica that has a single nave and that had open sides, delimited by rows of superimposed columns.
Inside these arcades, when the basilica was not in operation, doors were inserted (probably more wooden planks) to prevent bad weather from damaging the outside.
What you can do around the Early Christian Basilica of San Giovanni in Palagonia
All those who go to Palagonia for a visit to the Early Christian Basilica of San Giovanni can take the opportunity to discover other beauties of the locality in the province of Catania, which will not fail to fascinate even the most demanding visitors.
From the point of view of religious architecture, in Palagonia you can admire the Church of the Crucifix and that dedicated to St. Peter the Apostle which then is there mother church. Me too'Oratory of Coste di S. Febronia it deserves an in-depth visit, given that it is a rare example of Byzantine architecture carved into the rock and dating back to the XNUMXth-XNUMXth century.
As far as civil structures are concerned, however, it should be noted Palace of the Ursulines, built in 1880 on the project of the architect Sinatra who created an extremely articulated plan. Finally, just outside Palagonia and in the immediate vicinity of the Basilica of San Giovanni is thearchaeological area of Rocchicella dating back to a period ranging from 12.000 to 10.000 years BC
How is it possible to get to Palagonia
Those who wish to reach Palagonia can choose theauto as the best and fastest means. From Catania it is sufficient to take the SS417 while from Palermo you will follow the A19 for a while and then the E932. From Messina, the recommended road is the A18 while from Syracuse it is only necessary to follow the E45.
It is also possible to reach the village with the train: in this case you must refer to the stations of Militello, Scordia and Vizzini-Licodia which are the closest ones, given that Palagonia has its own stop which is on the Catania-Caltagirone-Gela line but it is only a stop control.
From nearby stations it is possible to continue towards the village on board bus numbers of the local lines provided by the AST company.
