The Mother Church of Maria SS. of the Purification in Barrafranca

The history of the mother church of Maria SS. of the Purification in Barrafranca

The Mother Church of Maria SS. Della Purificazione overlooks Via Vittorio Emanuele, in Barrafranca in the Libero Municipal Consortium of Enna, welcoming the faithful with its imposing facade and stylish decorations Barocco.
This beautiful Sicilian church was not spared from the bombings of Second World War and so the original layout of the sacred building, built in the eighteenth century, had to be restructured after the conflict, especially in the area of ​​the barrel vault.
The Church which can currently be admired from Via Vittorio Emanuele, stands in the place where a church dedicated to the San Sebastiano. In 1728, however, a new building was built for Catholic worship and later dedicated to Holy Mary of Purification, in honor of the Virgin, on the day when going to the Jerusalem Temple, introduced the Child Jesus.
It is not known with certainty if the old Church of San Sebastiano was completely demolished at the time of the new construction, but it seems that the bell tower of the current Mother Church, built only in 1774, may have been the extension of wall remains, presumably belonging to the old church.
The current facade of the Church was instead completed in 1800 and from 1903 the Church became the parish of the town, consecrated to Maria SS. of Purification.
During the sixties, seventies and eighties of the last century, the Mother Church was restructured several times until it appeared as today the tourists who visit Barrafranca can admire it, both externally and internally.

The architecture of the Mother Church of Maria SS. of the Purification in Barrafranca and the works of art it contains

The Mother Church of Barrafranca has a Latin cross plan, with three naves separated by splendid marble colonnades. The Baroque style characterizes above all the interiors, which appear bright, refined and rich in colors in neutral and gold tones. The facade overlooking Via Vittorio Emanuele gives the structure a classic appearance, above all due to the columns with Ionic capitals, while the portal surmounted by the broken tympanum appears more clearly Baroque. The bell tower is characterized by a dome covered in brilliant majolica. The three naves of the church are decorated with stucco in relief, while the vault is frescoed. Among the works of sacred art that can be admired inside the church, there is a statuette of the crucifix of considerable importance and the stoup with the Barresi coat of arms, family of the Sicilian aristocracy of Norman descent. A pictorial work of art to be admired in the Mother Church is undoubtedly the Madonna of the Purification, a canvas painted by Philip Paladini, painter who lived at the turn of the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries, master of Mannerism and inspired by Caravaggio.

What can you do in the mother church of Maria SS. of Purification in Barrafranca and its surroundings.

At the Parish of Barrafranca, it is possible to gather in prayer, follow Sunday mass with the local faithful and admire the artistic beauties of this religious building. At times when mass is not scheduled, it is possible to visit the Mother Church. After visiting the church, you can stay in the village for a tour of the historic center of this small town, which after the Second World War was awarded the Bronze Medal for Civil Value, for the help given to the survivors of the bombings. Walking around, you can admire other churches in the village, such as the Mother Church of the Divine Grace or the modern Church of the Sacred Heart; among the civil attractions, in the village you meet the Belli Instrumentum War Museum, while just 13 km away, stands the Mazarin Castle, called in Sicilian U Cannuni and dating back to the XIII century. From this hill, you can look up to Etna. A holiday of a few days in Barrafranca can also be transformed into an opportunity to visit the city, which is only 28 km from the town. In Enna you cannot miss a stop to see the Cathedral, while in the surroundings there is the beautiful Byzantine village of Vallone Canalotto. These are just a few ideas for a trip to Sicily: the splendid sea that surrounds the island needs no introduction, as does the delicious culinary tradition, which can be enjoyed in every corner in the small villages.

How to get to the Mother Church of Maria SS. of the Purification in Barrafranca

The Mother Church of Maria SS. of Purification is located in Barrafranca, Sicily, in the Free Municipal Consortium of Enna. The town can be reached easily from any point on the island, both by car and by train.
By car, take the A19 Palermo-Catania until the exits for Caltanissetta (19 km from Barrafranca) or Enna (24 km away).
Another excellent way to get to the town is by train: after getting off at Caltanissetta Centrale station (17 km from the centre) tourists can take public buses or private shuttles to get to Barrafranca.