Ruins of the Church of San Francesco in Caltabellotta
The Ruins of the former church of San Francesco di Paola in Caltabellotta is an architectural structure of considerable value in the village. The church is located in a particularly suggestive context, in the upper part of the historic center, a few tens of meters from where, until the early sixties of the last century, an access door to the ancient fortress called "Salvoporto" stood.
It was built at the behest of Roger the Norman at the end of the 11th century and was initially dedicated to the Madonna della Recommended.
Of particular value is the portal defined on both sides by two slender bilobed columns, surmounted by recessed capitals and by a slightly protruding molded frame, from the top of which the flanks of the pointed arch with triple recessed branch branch off. On the portal the votive coat of arms adopted by Roger the Norman of "Agnus Dei" is carved in bas-relief, set between two slender twisted columns.
The church has a single rectangular room, the perimeter walls date back to the Norman period and were built , in the lower part, with juxtaposed limestone ashlars. in the lower part, it is mainly made of juxtaposed limestone blocks, something that has allowed the monument to reach our days. In the upper part of the façade there are two rectangular windows due to subsequent interventions. The two minor walls are surmounted by triangular gables and this leads us to think of an original gabled roof.
