The Church of the Holy Spirit in San Cono

San Cono is a municipality in the Sicilian hinterland in the Metropolitan City of Catania and here, in the heart of the historic center of the town, stands the Church of the Holy Spirit in San Cono, the religious building more ancient of the village.

The history of the Parish merges with that of the town, so much so that citizens and inhabitants of the surrounding area call both by the name of San Cono.

The Church of the Holy Spirit already existed in the early seventeenth century, since in "The Life of the Blessed Cono Abbot of the Order of Saint Basil" the first historical testimonies relating to this church are found. At that time, the area dominated Trigona family of Piazza Armerina and the noble palace that housed them, was equipped with a family chapel, a building which later became the current Parish of the Holy Spirit in San Cono, on 18 May 1785. Almost a hundred years later, in 1868, the Church of San Cono became the Rectory of the new Mother Church, dedicated to Santa Maria delle Grazie.

During the XNUMXth century, the artist Pozzanchera of Barrafranca created the cycle of frescoes dedicated to the life of San Cono, completing the decorations on the vault of the sacred building.

San Cono, to whom the oldest church in the village is dedicated, is the patron saint of the town and is celebrated every year on the second Saturday in May giving rise to the Patronal feast of San Cono.

The Church of the Holy Spirit in San Cono: the works it houses

Once a family chapel of the ancient Trigona noble palace, the Parish of the Holy Spirit in San Cono is an example of architecture in Baroque-Sicilian style; the building consists of a single central body covered by a vault. The main facade is completely covered in stone; the door, surmounted by the linear entablature decorated with delicate friezes, gives access to the interior of the church, where various works of art can be admired. There Bell tower, detached from the central body of the building, stands a few meters away, also covered in stone.

Raising your eyes towards the vault, you can observe the frescoes by Pozzanchera created in 1971, while the sacred furnishings and the other decorations of the Parish: the marble altar is from the XNUMXth century and in the lower part there are two eagles carved in relief, the heraldic symbol of the Trigona family; in the central part of the altar, however, there is the niche of the Saint, which houses the ancient wooden effigy of San Cono. From the sides of the altar stand two figures of saints, Saint Peter and Saint Paul, made of terracotta, among which the figure of the Dove stands out, symbol of peace and the Holy Spirit.

Visiting the church it is also possible to admire other works, of unknown age, which give solemnity to the interior of the building.

The Church of the Holy Spirit in San Cono: what to do

When you arrive in San Cono, on holiday or simply for a quick visit, the first stop could be the Parish of the Holy Spirit, the religious building more ancient in town. Here you can also follow the service during mass times. The procession to the church starts from this church Feast of the Patron Saint San Cono towards the Mother Church.

In San Cono, however, there are other places to visit, in the various neighborhoods of the town: in Piazza Gramsci there is the Town Hall, while in the Forca district there is the Monument to the Cross and Palazzo Trigona not far away. Among the neighborhoods to visit, Milicucco, dating back to the Second World War.

Just 17 km from the municipality, there is Piazza Armerina, a town whose history is intertwined with that of San Cono thanks to the Trigona family: here you can discover many architectural and artistic beauties, in fact the municipality located on the Erei Mountains is a true and its own city of art.

The large Cathedral in Gothic and Baroque style and the Church of Santo Stefano are among the most fascinating religious buildings to visit, while there are many smaller, but no less beautiful churches that can be found simply by walking around the town; among the civil buildings, however, there are various buildings that belonged to the Trigona family, the Torre del Padre Santo and the former Palazzo Senatorio; Also worth visiting is the XNUMXth century Aragonese Castle.

With a journey of just 35 km, from San Cono you reach the sea: the Gulf of Gela offers visitors bathing establishments, while in the city you can visit impressive churches such as that of Sant'Agostino, the Civic Museum or Villa Garibaldi.

The Church of the Holy Spirit in San Cono: how to get there

San Cono, in the Metropolitan City of Catania, is about 80 km from the big city. The town can be easily reached either by train or by car.

Travelers who prefer the train they can book a ticket to Caltanissetta Centrale Station and continue the 35 km journey to San Cono by bus; who travels in auto , from the A19 Palermo-Catania you can take the exit for Enna and reach Piazza Armerina via the SS 117 bis, continuing up to San Cono.