The Mother Church in Santa Venerina

In the Metropolitan City of Catania, in Sicily, lies the municipality of Santa Venerina, a town halfway between Mascali and Acireale. Here, at about 300 meters above sea level, just over 8.000 people live and there are many architectural beauties that tourists are invited to visit when they come on holiday to the Ionian coast. One of the most beautiful is undoubtedly the Mother Parish of Santa Venera in Santa Venerina, a Catholic place of worship built at the end of the mid-eighteenth century and then elevated to the rank of branch of the Cathedral of Maria Santissima Annunziata in Acireale.

In 1921, the Church of Santa Venera obtained autonomy from Acireale and about 15 years later, in 1936, it became the parish of the newborn municipality of Santa Venerina. The construction of the Parish, begun in 1747, was completed only in 1934.

Santa Venera, whose name means own "worthy of veneration" , was a woman who lived in the second century AD virgin and martyr born in Rome, or presumably in a town in southern Italy, who is remembered above all from the Middle Ages throughout the south. An evangelizer, she renounced all her material possessions by giving them to the neediest, to devote herself to the spread of Christian worship. She died decapitated, but became Martyr recognized by the Catholic Church, still today remembered with devotion by the faithful: in the Church dedicated to her at Santa Venerina, the patron saint of the municipality is celebrated every year on the last Sunday of July.

The architecture of the Mother Parish in Santa Venerina and the works it houses

The Mother Parish of Santa Venera in Santa Venerina is an eighteenth-century church, whose original plan included a single central nave , flanked by the tall bell tower. However, a few years after its construction began, the church was enlarged with the addition of side chapels. The bell tower original was destroyed by an earthquake in 1879, but subsequent reconstructions also had no luck, being repeatedly destroyed by earthquakes over the next 50 years. The current concrete bell tower, in fact, dates back to 1962.

The main facade, in ocher colour, has two rows of columns between which is the main door. The lateral bodies, lower, also have columns that frame smaller doors. The lateral bodies are surmounted by a marble balustrade, while in the centre, above the door, is the niche with the Statue of the saint , The Santa Venera by the Sicilian sculptor Mariano Vasta. The tympanum of the church, surrounded by decorations, is surmounted by an iron cross.

Inside the church you can admire several works , all made by the Vasta family, Sicilian artists of the eighteenth century. Among these, we remember the fresco of San Giuseppe, the work of Pietro Paolo Vasta and the canvases of Alessandro, his son.
The Vaccaro brothers from Caltagirone instead created the canvas of the Madonna del Rosario.
Another valuable work that can be admired in the church is the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes.

What you can do in the Mother Parish of Santa Venerina and in the surroundings

By visiting the Mother Parish of Santa Venera in Santa Venerina, you can admire the artistic beauties that are kept there and, of course, attend the functions during mass times. Santa Venerina is a place rich in history and interesting monuments, which is why a stop at the Parish of Santa Venera is not the only activity to do in the town. There are numerous other churches in the municipality, to be visited all: among these, we point out the Church of Maria Santissima del Rosario in Piazza Cosentini, for its majestic architecture and its interesting history between construction and reconstruction and the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus , built in the second half of the XNUMXth century and home to wonderful frescoes and paintings.

Among the civil architectures, we remember the Monument to the Fallen , while those who simply want to walk outdoors and love nature can go to the Cosentini Oasis Park or Princessa Park. Located between the Etna Park and the Ionian Sea, Santa Venerina is the perfect location for a holiday to discover the natural beauty of Sicily; the Park is the perfect place for trekking, excursions in the countryside or admiring the local fauna by birdwatching, while those who prefer the sea along the Ionian coast will be spoiled for choice: from Santa Venerina you can quickly reach the beaches of Catania, like the wonderful Lido dei Ciclopi.

How to get to the Mother Parish of Santa Venerina

The Mother Parish of Santa Venera in Santa Venerina is located in Piazza Roma, in the north-eastern quadrant of the town. Santa Venerina can be reached on the motorway, via the A18 up to the Giarre tollbooth, and then continue on the state road to Santa Venerina.
By train, travelers must get off at Giarre-Riposto station and continue by bus to the centre, for about 7,5 km.