Church of Santo Spirito in Caltanissetta

Among the many architectural and cultural wonders in the area of Caltanissetta there is the Church of the Holy Spirit. A building whose origins are related to the Norman period and therefore dating back to the XII century.

Abbey of Santo Spirito of Caltanissetta

The Abbey of Santo Spirito of Caltanissetta is a wonderful one religious structure of Christian worship whose construction took place around the twelfth century. According to some historical reconstructions provided by scholars and enthusiasts, in this place where the church was built, there was already a previous church of Byzantine worship. Its creation was commissioned by Count Ruggero and by his wife Adelasia with the works that were completed in 1153, the year in which it was consecrated. What is certain is known that in 1178 the church was entrusted to the Augustinian canons regular and that, over the centuries, it has been the subject of renovation work several times, the most important of which was carried out in 1568, commissioned by Fabrizio Moncada, to Count of Caltanissetta era. Further renovations were carried out in the XNUMXth and early XNUMXth centuries.

The architectural features of the Santo Spirito Church – Caltanissetta

The church of Santo Spirito in Caltanissetta has an external part that is evidently affected by the choice to provide a single nave with a length equal to 3 times the transversal dimension. This choice is not accidental, just as the presence of 3 small windows in the apse is not accidental because it is intended to represent, symbolically, the mystery of Trinitarian unity.
Of note is the presence of a wonderful side portal and apses with pilasters which reflect somewhat of the characteristics of Norman architecture. In the internal part there are various elements of great historical but also cultural interest, such as the baptismal font built in the Norman era and which has come down to us intact. The recently built choir loft, i.e. in 1877 and decorated with the coats of arms of the Bishop Monsignor Giovanni Guttadauro, is to be appreciated.
Also worth highlighting is the presence of a fresco depicting Saint Augustine, probably created during the XNUMXth century, and another fresco in which there is Jesus Christ emerging from the sarcophagus. On one of the side walls, a fresco stands out under an architrave and depicts Jesus Christ blessing, probably also created in the XNUMXth century.
There are many other frescoes that are worth seeing and especially the Roman cinerary urn which, according to historians, dates back to the XNUMXst century BC. Inside there are the remains of a man who served as a freedman or slave of the emperor Titus Flavius ​​Caesar.

What else to see in Caltanissetta

Caltanissetta is a beautiful Sicilian city born at the time of the Sicans so we are talking about the XNUMXth century BC.

On its territory there are various religious structures and above all works of art that are worth visiting at least once in your life as in the case of cathedral of Caltanissetta located in Piazza Garibaldi built between the second half of the sixteenth century and the first twenty years of the seventeenth century. Among the other most iconic religious structures of Caltanissetta, there is the church of Santa Sant'Agata al collegio or church of Santa Maria degli Angeli which develops with an important plant in terms of territorial extension. There are also several churches that partly reflect the Baroque characteristics of Sicily and many other styles such as the San Sebastian church, That of San Domenico or the Santa Flavia monastery , Church of the Holy Cross. As regards civil buildings, the current town hall of Caltanissetta is worth mentioning, which is located in a palace whose construction began in 1371. Finally, it is possible to visit the Margherita theatre, the Palazzo della Provincia or the former Vittorio Emanuele hospital which is really important due to its architectural characteristics and history. Moving 8 kilometers from the center of Caltanissetta instead, archeology enthusiasts can visit the Sabucina archaeological park. The remains of objects and buildings dating back to the Bronze Age and relics dating back to the Roman period have been found in the area.

How to reach Caltanissetta

By car:, starting from Palermo, to reach Caltanissetta you need to cover a route of approximately 130 km which takes 110 minutes using first the E90, then the A19 motorway and finally the E392. For those coming from Catania instead, the kilometers are 110 and the time required about 82 minutes via the A19 motorway.

© Image by Walter LoCascio, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons