Basilica of Sant’Antonio Abate in Giarratana
The Basilica of Sant'Antonio Abate in Giarratana is one of the main buildings of worship of the small village.
The presence of a church dedicated to Sant'Antonio Abate is documented as early as the fourteenth century but the current structure dates back to the very early years of the eighteenth century century and was built following the 1693 earthquake in the Val di Noto which destroyed several buildings in the village.
The façade is in Baroque style and has been attributed to the architect Mario Diamanti given the similarities with the façade of the church of San Sebastiano in Palazzolo Acreide. It has a façade divided into three architectural orders decorated with semi-columns: on the first order, on the main door there is a double-headed eagle in asphaltic stone with the inscription "prima basilica"; the second order has a large stained glass window, which depicts Sant'Antonio and the Madonna della Neve, while the sides are the statues of San Francesco di Paola and Sant'Antonio di Padova, works by Moschetto; the third order of the facade, used as a belfry, houses the main bell, dating back to 1647, comes from the ancient Basilica.
The interior is divided into three naves and is decorated with precious stuccoes gilded with pure gold leaf. Of particular value is the floor of the central nave which presents a rare alternation of asphaltic stone and majolica tiles from the end of the eighteenth century. Of considerable value is the sixteenth-century statue of the Patroness Maria SS. della Neve and the eighteenth-century canopy placed on the high altar where a monumental chapel was built.
