Mother Church of Maletto

La Mother Church of SS. Heart of Jesus and Mary or more simply the Mother Church of Maletto, is the main place of Christian worship in the territory of the Sicilian municipality. It is a building built during the XNUMXth century at the behest of Mariano Palermo who was later consecrated bishop of Piazza Armerina.

Architecture and works of art inside the Mother Church of Maletto

The Church was built from 1857 to 1877 involving practically the entire population because unspeakable sacrifices were necessary to arrive at the consecration which took place on 3 June 1877. The mother church of Maletto was immediately dedicated to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in a celebration which saw the presence of the then Archbishop Cardinal Dusmet.

In the following years the religious structure was further completed with the insertion in 1855 of a bell tower which was the work of the Vicar Antonino Schilirò and in 1909 with the Chapel of the Sacrament. Thanks also to the economic improvement of the town, there were some improvements made to make this place of worship even more beautiful and majestic as in the case of the addition of the side doors. In its current form, the church has a rather large facade which is located at the end of a very scenic staircase. The facade was decorated by some operators in the area using mainly pilasters in lava stone. The plan is the traditional one with three naves, in particular a larger central one and narrower lateral ones. They are pillars decorated with the stucco technique and the altar and other parts of the church are instead finished with marble with neoclassical style finishes.

Among the most important works of art that are still visible today in the church, there is a canvas depicting the transit of St. Joseph made in 1793 by the painter Marcello Leopardi which was previously kept in other religious structures.

Maletto's story

Maletto is a town in the province of Catania which today has about 4000 inhabitants. It is located about 960 meters above sea level and has a history full of legends and more or less confirmed historical documents.

Particularly according to an ancient legend it seems that the origin of the town's name is due to one Princess named Damn who lived on the rock of the castle from which he commanded some mercenaries who carried out raids throughout the area on his behalf. She offered shelter and security inside the castle in exchange for a large booty. Over the years it seems that these brigands began to build various houses around the castle and therefore the first settlement of the town began to form. Naturally it is a legend even if there is historical evidence that has spoken of people who, to protect themselves from the king's justice, decided to hide in this fairly protected town. However, the historical documents available tell of how the first settlements of Maletto date back to the year 1273, just when the construction of the castle began, so there is a clear contrast with the legend. Like many other Sicilian territories, this community too has had to deal with the various dominations that have followed one another over the centuries and which have left behind works of art and an invaluable wealth of culture and traditions.

What to see near the Mother Church of Maletto

In the vicinity of the Mother Church of Maletto there are many interesting tourist locations not to be missed. Remaining in the Sicilian municipality you can take a look at the Salvo Nibali Civic Museum in which there are archaeological finds dating back to the Neolithic and the historical period that saw the first arrival of the Greeks and later of the Romans.

On the territory of adrano it is possible to propose an itinerary to discover the beauty of the Monastery of Santa Lucia, whose supply was started in 1150 by the will of Countess Adelasia, grandson of Count Ruggero D'Altavilla and which included the presence of Benedictine monks inside. Very beautiful and particular is also the so-called Norman castle which represents one of the symbols of the city and the Castello della Solicchiata.

Moving instead towards Bronte, in addition to the typical features of the area including the famous pistachio, there are other locations of interest such as the archaeological site of Balze Soprane or the Nelson Castle dating back to the XNUMXth century and which has a majestic entrance with its beautiful portal.

How to get to Maletto

For those arriving by car from Catania, there is a total route of 56 km following mainly the SS284 state road (for 34 km) going in the direction of Paternò-Misterbianco and then Paternò-Catania with indications for Adrano.

If instead you arrive from Messina, you have to travel about 100 km for an hour and a half journey time.

In this case you have to take the A18 motorway in the direction of Fiumefreddo and then continue on the SS120 in the direction of Maletto following the indications.

© Image by Richard Spoto, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons