The Mother Church of Alessandria della Rocca

Alessandria della Rocca is a small town of the Free Municipal Consortium of Agrigento, in south-western Sicily, whose origins date back to the XNUMXth century. Among the architectures of the center, they are found stately buildings, military fortifications and especially very ancient sacred buildings. The Mother Church of Alessandria della Rocca is one of these and is consecrated to Santa Maria del Pilar.

Built in 1593, the Mother Church of Alessandria della Rocca was born from ruins of the old Church of San Nicolò di Bari and immediately became the parish of the town, by will of the Baron Barresi, descendant of the family that reigned over Alexandria for centuries.

In the Mother Church, History meets Art and there are numerous works kept inside, including interesting artistic finds that took place in the XNUMXs. Today the Church of Santa Maria del Pilar is the Mother Church of Alessandria della Rocca.

The architecture of the Mother Church of Alessandria della Rocca and the works it houses

The Mother Church of Alessandria della Rocca is a large building a three naves, which can already be guessed from the outside, in correspondence with the columns on the main façade, which also highlight the presence of two bell towers on either side of the entrance.

The ocher colored facade is divided into two orders and presents simple decorations white stone structures. In the second order, in correspondence with the door, there is a large niche decorated in stone.

The interior of the Mother Church is very interesting: upon entering you can admire it artwork from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, such as the canvases representing the Archangel Michael, the Assumption of the Virgin signed by Provenzani and the Annunciation, attributed to Guido Reni.

What to do in the Mother Church of Alessandria della Rocca and in the surroundings

The beauty of the works of art found in the Parish can help the faithful who wish to gather in prayer and after the end of the function, it is possible to linger to admire the sacred canvases.

The Mother Church, however, is only the first stage of an interesting tour through the streets of the town: in the center you will find the Municipality (Select), the Church of Carmine in Piazza Guglielmo Marconi, the Church of San Giovanni in the homonymous street. Walking through the village, you will find several ice cream parlors, restaurants and bars for a stop before resuming the tour.

Not far from the centre, in the green hills surrounding Alessandria, you will find the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Rocca, where the Patronal feast of the town. Legend has it here that a blind girl regained her sight following the apparition of the Madonna, thus changing the history of the town.

Leave the village to discover the Bivona Castle of the thirteenth century, about 8 km, as well as the Church of Calvary, completely covered in stone. A little further south, in Cianciana, you will come across the Clock tower and Cloister of the Convent with the beautiful sacristy.

Continuing south beyond Cianciana, you will finally reach Agrigento: an hour's journey and you will be in front of the Valley of the Temples, you will be able to admire the Temple of Heracles and the wonderful Scala dei Turchi overlooking the sea. By the way, the beaches of Sicily are among the most beautiful in the world and the beaches of Agrigento are among the most beautiful in Sicily: we recommend a stop at Eraclea Minoa, Cala Paradiso and in Bay of Sirens, to really enjoy the Sicilian sea.

As you discover, one after the other, the beauties of Sicily, do not forget to taste the typical local dishes, which in these parts are cavatelli all'agrigentina, macco di fava beans and beccafico sardines.

How it is possible to get to Alessandria della Rocca

Alessandria della Rocca is located in the Free Municipal Consortium of Agrigento and can be reached by car via the SS121 and then SS189 from Palermo, taking the exit for Lercara Friddi.
In train, the closest station is Agrigento Centrale: here you will find buses and shuttles that will take you to the centre, approximately 30km away.