Parish of San Giuseppe in Castellana Sicula
Book your tour in Sicily
Choose from the best experiences to do in Catania, Palermo, Messina, Trapani, Agrigento and many other Sicilian cities.
La San Giuseppe parish in Castellana Sicula it is a building with the unusual shape of a hut which houses works by contemporary artists. The Church is an example of modern architecture that is well suited to Castellana Sicula, a village always open to artistic innovation as demonstrated by the murals that embellish the walls of the town.
The history of Castellana Sicula and the parish of San Giuseppe in the Calcarelli district
The village of Castellana Sicula is linked to the Duke of Ferrandina who in the first half of the XNUMXth century received the fiefdom from Philip V of Spain and Sicily as thanks for the services rendered in the war. The farmers of Petralia Soprana and the other surrounding villages are therefore encouraged to leave their lands and move to the new fiefdom made up of Castellana, Fana and Maimone which is surrounded by a fertile plain and well irrigated by rivers. Since its establishment, Castellana acquired the name of the duke's wife, Gemma, who belongs to the noble Spanish family of Castellana.
The fiefdom did not have a pre-existing village, but in a few years the community built, with the economic help of the duke, a town that sustained itself with the cultivation of fruit trees, olive trees and vines. The area of the hills is also rich in chalk therefore from the nineteenth century and until the second half of the twentieth century the population with this resource experienced a period of development. The plaster furnaces, this load, give the name to Calcarelli district one of the most modern in the country which now hosts the St Joseph Parish around which many faithful gather.
The architecture of the San Giuseppe parish in Castellana Sicula and its works
The parish of San Giuseppe in Castellana Sicula is located in the hamlet of Calcarelli and is a building built in the early seventies of the twentieth century in modern style.
In fact, the Church has the shape of a large hut, therefore its innovative architecture is at the center of a great debate at the time of its construction. Two stairways lead from the churchyard to Piazza San Giuseppe and on either side of the steps there is a statue of the Madonna and Child with a hedge of roses.
The bell tower is quadrangular in shape and is located on the opposite side of the Church. Inside the building under the wooden vault there are 8 frescoed panels representing scenes from the Gospel, the work of the Ragusan painter Emanuele Cappello.
Things to do in Castellana Sicula and its surroundings
In addition to the modern parish of San Giuseppe, the Calcarelli hamlet of Castellana Sicula also houses the first church dedicated to the saint built in 1860 which houses two precious wooden statues, San Pasquale and an Ecce Homo.
The village and its surroundings are decorated by murals of local and international artists such as Eva Warnke who make Castellana Sicula a center where art is part of everyday life. The village is also one of the gates of the Madonie therefore the Madonie natural park it is among the most frequent tourist destinations for visitors who are fascinated by the richness of beech and chestnut woods. The protected area also has some typical plants of the area such as the Madonie fir, the Cupane broom or the Sicilian fairy flax which alternate with splendid specimens of orchids and Mediterranean scrub.
In the Contrada Muratore countryside, lovers of Roman art and history can visit the remains of an ancient one Roman Village with spa private from the first centuries after Christ and also some treaders dug into the rock, evidence of the agricultural activity of the first inhabitants of the area. The work of the archaeologists also brings to light 3 still intact hypogea from the early Christian era, today the largest hypogeum is preserved in the Civic Museum of the country.
How to reach the parish of San Giuseppe in Castellana Sicula
By car:, from Palermo take the E90 from via Roma and continue for 43 km to the A19 where you take the exit towards Catania. Follow the road for 35km then take the exit towards Tremonzelli and take the SS120 towards Cortile Liguria in Castellana Sicula. Continue for 20km to the Parish of San Giuseppe "Calcarelli" which is located at number 12 in via Pergola.
