Church of the Nativity of Maria Santissima in Ramacca

Between via Dante Alighieri and via del Crocifisso in Ramacca, stands the Church of the Nativity of Maria Santissima in Ramacca. The building has an elongated rectangular base that ends in a semicircular apse. It was originally the deposit of a ancient farmhouse, combined with the already existing church of the SS. Crucifix dating back to the XNUMXth century, then only made up of the bell vault, the church and a small cemetery.

History of the Mother Church in Ramacca

Dedicated to the Nativity of Mary, the church is located adjacent to the central square of Ramacca, a town founded in the early eighteenth century.

Initially there was only a small one baronial church dating back to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries which was dedicated to the Holy Crucifix and of which the original bell tower remains. As the population increased over time, the needs changed and this was the reason why expansion works were carried out, including in the previous building also an adjacent large warehouse which was part of a feudal farm attributable to Prince Bernardo Benedetto Maria Gravina.

The Church of the Nativity of Maria SS in Ramacca has simple architectural lines and without a well-defined style even if it was later enriched with stucco decorations, a flaky floor and a polychrome marble altar.

Closed for necessary restoration work, it was only reopened for worship in 2007, on the occasion of the 98th anniversary of his appointment as parish.

Architecture of the Nativity of Mary Most Holy Parish in Ramacca

The Parish of the Nativity of Maria SS has a roof made up of five times per cruise connected with arches that join the larger sides. The roofs are formed by an interweaving of wooden trusses which are placed with the aim of supporting the wooden purlins, in addition to the planking and the roofing made up of a Sicilian pair.

The interior of the nave is characterized by one ionic style which divides the most important side parts into five sections and this defines the decorative architectural style. The sections face each other symmetrically and are delimited by pilasters and have round arches that are recessed into the masonry where the marble altars are also located.

The nave is joined to the apse through a large round arch at the end of which is the main altar.

The artistic works kept inside the Mother Church in Ramacca

In Ramacca they consist of a wooden statue depicting Saint Joseph with the Child, an eighteenth-century statue of gilded wood representing the Madonna holding the Child with the Sacred Heart, another eighteenth-century wooden statue portraying Saint Francis of Paola, a precious Wooden crucifix, a Via Crucis in glazed terracotta by the master Mario Vaccaro, a painting that portrays the Madonna della Provvidenza dating back to the first half of the twentieth century, an eighteenth-century wooden tabernacle meticulously carved and gilded.

The exterior has a portal in white stone above which there is a small circular window and, in the upper part of the main façade, a gabled crowning can be seen.

The three-section bell tower is located in the apse of the building and, at its base, there is a portal which was the access to the sixteenth-century church of the Crucifix.

What to do around the Parish Nativity of Maria SS in Ramacca

In addition to visiting the other attractions in Ramacca such as the Civic Archaeological Museum, after having seen the Parish of the Nativity of Maria SS., you can explore other localities in the surroundings such as the village of Militello in Val di Catania e Palagonia.

Militello in Val di Catania is a village included in the prestigious list of most beautiful villages in Italy and, since 2002 it has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The hamlet can be considered a real one museum city as it was rebuilt at the end of the 24th century after a terrible earthquake. Today it preserves over XNUMX religious buildings and numerous noble palaces in the Baroque style.
A visit to him must start from the fourteenth century Barresi-Branciforte Castle characterized by its regular shape and cylindrical towers. It is only possible to see the Porta del Bastione, the Porta della Terra, the Fontana della Ninfa Zizza and two towers which are the testimonies that have come down to us.

Even the church of the patron saint of the village, dedicated to Santa Maria della Stella, deserves to be seen due to the stupendous frescoes and altarpieces – one by Andrea della Robbia – which it houses inside together with twelve finely decorated altars.

Also the main church of San Nicolò and of the SS. Salvatore is worthy of a stop to admire the various artistic masterpieces contained within.

How is it possible to get to the Mother Church in Ramacca

Ramacca is located in the province of Catania and can be reached by car from Catania, taking the A19 Catania-Palermo, exiting at the Motta S. Anastasia junction, taking the state roads 192 and 288, and taking the crossroads for Ramacca, or along the SS 417 Catania-Gela up to the Ramacca crossroads.