Church of the Sacred Heart in Mazzarrone

Mazzarrone is a town of about 4.000 inhabitants located in the province of Catania in which there are many locations to visit such as the Church of the Sacred Heart. A place of worship built after the Second World War to allow the inhabitants to carry on the tradition of celebrating Corpus Domini.

Architecture and works of art inside the Church of the Sacred Heart in Mazzarrone

La Church of the Sacred Heart in Mazzarrone it is a religious structure located in the northern part of the urban center in the square of the same name. Its construction was started in July 1955 through a project that was conceived at the time by the municipal administration of Caltagirone. In fact, Mazzarrone obtained political autonomy only in 1976 by grouping together a series of rather populous neighborhoods.

The construction of the church was completed in just eight months if we consider that the historic first stone was placed by the bishop of the time Monsignor Pietro Capizzi on 11 December 1955, while the delivery of the works took place in July 1956 The idea of ​​wanting to build the Church is linked to the community's need to have a place of worship dedicated to the Sacred Heart. The church was dedicated to the Sacred Heart also because it was there seeds on the territory of celebrate Corpus Christi. A further step forward in the importance that the church had and currently has with respect to the whole city of Mazzarrone, took place in April 1965 when it became a parish.

From an architectural point of view, the structure presents a project created with a single internal nave and a fairly simple external facade with an enormous access door positioned above a staircase consisting of about ten steps. On the main entrance door there is a rose window with a clock inside and a mullioned window below. The internal area is finished with the use of light-toned marble and a mural-type tabernacle that recalls the shape of the sun, with a large wooden crucifix positioned above. There are several interesting elements from an artistic point of view such as the ceramic bas-reliefs on a mosaic background that recall the baptism of Jesus or the polychrome stained glass windows added in 1995.

The story of Mazzarrone

The Church of the Sacred Heart in Mazzarrone is located in a community that was formed from a political point of view only in 1976, the year in which it obtained theautonomy from the Municipality of Caltagirone. In fact, its history is quite recent because the first traces of an inhabited center in the area are found after the unification of Italy in 1861. At the time there was the confiscation of ecclesiastical property by the nascent kingdom, which favors the arrival of families who have decided to settle in the area also to obtain foster care of some land that was once cultivated. These small agglomerations then grew over the decades leading to the formation of important neighborhoods such as that of the Botteghelle. Towards the end of the 50s, all these small villages began a long tug of war with the world of politics to obtain the autonomy of all the villages. In particular, on 29 April 1976 a regional law established that the localities of Mazzarrone together with those of Botteghelle, Grassura and Contrada leva Cucchi were merged into a single autonomous center from the municipality of Caltagirone and therefore the name of Mazzarrone was given.

What to see near Mazzarrone

In the vicinity of Mazzarrone there are several attractions to see such as the Mother Church of San Nicola di Bari located at acate which is part of the province of Ragusa. Also here you can appreciate the wonderful castle of the princes of Biscari built in 1494 at the behest of Guglielmo Raimondo. Today it is owned by the municipality which has renovated it and made it available to visitors also for organizing social and cultural events.

In the nearby community of Chiaramonte Gulfi it is possible to appreciate other locations not to be missed such as the Basilica of Santa Maria la Nova built in 1450 with the precious Gothic style with pointed arches and many Baroque elements for an artistically interesting compromise. Also here there are other locations not to be missed such as the Church of San Vito or the sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Gulfi.

How to get to Mazzarrone

To get to Mazzarrone from Catania it is necessary to follow a route of 85 km to be completed in about 1 hour and 15 minutes. You take the E45 for about 15 km and enter the SS194 for Ragusa/Lentini/Carlentini and you have to drive for 25 km. You enter the SS514 continuing for 13 km and then the Mazzarrone exit which leads to a final stretch of another 15 km.

From Ragusa it is only 35 km which requires about 40 minutes of travel. You must take the SS514 towards SP115 and then the SP4 and SP150.