The Church of Santa Margherita and the Marineo Caves in Licodia Eubea

The history of the Church of Santa Margherita in Licodia Eubea and the Marineo Caves

The Mother Church of Santa Margherita, in Licodia Eubea, is an ancient religious building built in the 1600s, which overlooks Piazza Vittorio Emanuele.
In the history of this beautiful church, there are some very important dates: 1621 is the year in which the building was consecrated as the Mother Church of the town; later, 1693 marked a nefarious date for the Basilica, since it was almost totally destroyed by the earthquake that struck all of southern Sicily.

The rebirth took place in 1738, the year in which the faithful were finally able to return to gather in prayer Santa Margherita. Finally, in 1893, a final architectural intervention replaced the slope that led to the church with an easier staircase.

The Basilica of Licodia Eubea is today a Catholic place of worship dedicated to the Patroness of the town, whose feast day falls on July 20th.

The small Sicilian center, however, also holds other ancient beauties, namely the Caves of Marineo, located in the eastern part of the town, on a hill: on these heights, in the eighties of the twentieth century, a series of archaeological excavations brought to light the caves, inhabited by man since 5.000 BC
From the found engravings, it was also possible to trace the function that these natural shelters had in the ancient settlements, i.e. that of pre-Christian places of worship.

By visiting the municipality of Licodia Eubea, one can therefore witness a great testimony of the spirituality of the island, since the most remote times.

The architecture of the Church of Santa Margherita in Licodia Eubea and the Marineo Caves

The Church of Santa Margherita was built in the 1600s and its style is that of the late Baroque: the main facade, decorated with capitals, friezes and masks, shows the coat of arms of the Santapau, a family that dominated the area from Middle Ages to the seventeenth century forwarded.

The church has a Latin cross plan and inside there are three naves divided by columns; the two chapels surmounted by domes are finely decorated with stuccos and frescoes.
Among the most important works that are kept in the Basilica, there is a XNUMXth century painting representing the Baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River and a papier-mâché statue depicting Christ in the Urn, statue that is carried in procession on Good Friday.

Heading east from the town of Licodia Eubea, you reach the Marineo Caves. Here you can first admire the show nature of the caves opened on the hill, between porous sandstone rocks, typical of the area.

Scholars have had access to four caves, identifying three different finds in the first dating back to the Neolithic: these are ceramics decorated with geometric motifs, on which the stylized reproduction of the human eye has also been identified. In the same places more recent ceramics have also been found, although still very ancient, dating back to the XNUMXth century BC

The fourth cave was discovered later and allowed scholars to detect wall engravings with stylized human figures and more realistic animal figures.
It is thought that these representations are connected to the celebration of solar rites.

What you can do at the Church of Santa Margherita in Licodia Eubea, at the Marineo Caves and in the surrounding area

Visiting the Mother Church of the town is at the same time an opportunity to gather in prayer with the local community, during mass times, and an opportunity to admire one of the ancient religious buildings of the island; not far away, the Marineo Caves are instead a stage in the most ancient history of our country and offer the possibility of admiring ancient rock finds.

By choosing Licodia Eubea as a starting point for a tour, you will also have the opportunity to take a walk in the centre, discovering its ancient historic center which is believed to be descended from an ancient Greek colony.
Many churches, such as that of Santa Lucia or that of the Crucifix, which can be admired in Licodia, while among the civil architectures, there is the Town Hall and the Mugnos Palace. There is no shortage of very ancient military buildings, such as the Santapau Castle, which stands on the homonymous hill.

Finally, between one visit and another, you can relax in the green spaces of the municipality, such as the Villa Santapau.

Moving away from the centre, lovers of literature in our country can spend pleasant hours in the Verghian Imaginary Museum, dedicated to the memory of the illustrious Sicilian writer.

How to get to the Church of Santa Margherita in Licodia Eubea and the Marineo Caves

Licodia Eubea is located in the Metropolitan City of Catania and can be easily reached by car or train from all the main cities of the island.

From the A18 Messina-Catania motorway, those traveling by car can take the Lentini-Carlentini exit, while travelers who prefer the train can get off at Ragusa Station and take the route by bus or private shuttle that leads to the center .

© Davide Mauro, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Cinegg at Italian Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons