Church of Sant'Agata in Villabate

In the municipality of Villabate, in the province of Palermo, there is the Church of Sant'Agata which is considered one of the symbols of the village but is also particularly interesting because it preserves numerous works of art which are the result of a centuries-old history. A visit to Church of Sant'Agata in Villabate it can also be the right occasion to get to know the village more deeply, so as to be able to discover a corner of Sicily that is a little off the beaten track.

History of the church of Sant'Agata in Villabate

La Church of Sant'Agata in Villabate it is a building that dates back to around the end of the 1800s. It is an ecclesiastical structure that immediately gathered numerous faithful, very devoted to the saint, but which over time has undergone various modifications, sometimes due to extensions and other times due to damage caused by natural disasters. For example, in 1931 the parish priest of the time, Pietro Maltese, decided to have a second door built, this time in a more central position, to allow easier access to the place of worship. In 1902, however, due to a violent earthquake, a part of the structure collapsed but thanks to the donations of the faithful, its usability was restored in a short time. The same thing happened a few years later, especially in 1939, as there was another violent earthquake and this time it affected a larger part of the structure. Even in this case, however, the sums raised by the faithful were needed not only to carry out the repairs but also to restore the plaster and internal decorations, which had been completely destroyed.

The architecture and works of art present in the church of Sant'Agata

From an architectural point of view, the Church of Sant'Agata in Villabate it has the particularity of having three entrance doors, two of which are posterior to its original construction. The style is pure Romanesque, inside it is divided into seven sections, each with its own altar, to which is added the central one. Furthermore, on the left wall, there was once a baptismal font, heavily damaged due to frequent earthquakes. In its place in more recent years an altar has been erected which is dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua and is embellished with his statue. In reality this is not the only work of art that can be admired in the Church of Sant'Agata in Villabate since there is also kept an ancient wooden statue depicting St. Joseph as well as a papier-mâché which instead has the appearance of the Madonna. Finally there are also the statues of Santa Rosalia, Sant'Agata and Santa Teresa.

What you can do around the church of Sant'Agata

In addition to Church of Sant'Agata, the village offers many other places of interest that can be visited while staying in the village. One of them is the Church of St. Joseph, which is a recent construction as it dates back to 1984 but was built on a very ambitious project by the architect Schillaci, in honor of the saint much admired by the population of Villabate, who celebrate it on 18 and 19 March with the Feast of St. Joseph on the main streets of the village. From the point of view of civil architecture, on the other hand, it is worth mentioning Vital Tower which was born as a military lookout post, probably built around the XNUMXth century. A century later, in the XNUMXth century, it was transformed into a noble residence and enriched with other buildings around it.

How is it possible to get to Villabate

Who wants to reach the country by car to visit the Church of Sant'Agata in Villabate, can do so starting from Palermo and along the E90, the same road that those who move from Trapani can also follow.
Those who move from Catania and Enna must take the A19, while those who leave from Syracuse must first take the same road and then end the journey on the E932.
From Messina you can follow the route which first takes the A20 and then the E90.
Villabate divides the railway station with the municipality of Ficarazzelli, so whoever prefers the train you can choose it, given that the stop is on the section that connects Palermo to both Agrigento and Messina. Finally, the connections provided with the local buses of the AST company are always active.