Church of the Holy Sacrament at the Circolo in Militello in Val di Catania
The Church of the Santissimo Sacramento al Circolo, also known as the Church of the Circolo, is a fine example of the Sicilian Baroque style.
It was built in 1724 based on a design by the architect from Militello, Don Antonino Scirè Giarro. The place of worship was intended for the perpetual exposition of the Santissimo Sacramento.
The carved Baroque façade has a characteristic concave profile of Borrominian influence. In the center there is a single portal flanked by columns, with Corinthian capitals, which support a broken tympanum. The façade is surmounted by a bell lodge with a fan-shaped profile with three lights.
The interior, with a single nave, is decorated with elegant stuccos in late Baroque style. On the pillars of the chapel of the presbytery there are two valuable frescoes depicting the Coat of Arms of the Bourbons of Naples and Sicily in the two different versions, of Charles III and Ferdinand III of Sicily.
Among the works kept in the church, of particular value are: the statue with its fercolo of Sant'Antonio Abate in cathedra dating back to 1575, the work of the Bivona sculptor Antonio De Mauro, coming from the church of S. Antonio Abate. Of particular interest is the predella of the statue of the saint which depicts scenes in relief from the life of the Saint.
The couple Alfio Palermo and Fortunata dei baroni Lamia are buried in the church as described on the tombstone dating back to 1724 and now on display in the Tesoro di S. Maria della Stella.
