Santa Maria la Cava e Sant'Alfio

The Chiesa madre of Santa Maria la Cava e Sant'Alfio (Mother Church of St. Mary of the Pit and St. Alphius) is the main religious building in Lentini, Italy.

Santa Maria la Cava e Sant'Alfio
Facade
Religion
AffiliationCatholic Church
Location
LocationLentini, Italy
Architecture
Architect(s)Vincenzo Vella da Malta
TypeChurch
StyleBaroque
Groundbreaking1693
Completed1747
Website
Official website
The central nave

It was built after the 1693 Sicily earthquake by merging the former cathedral of Santa Maria la Cava with the chapter of the collegiate church dedicated to the Saints Alphius, Philadelphus and Cyrinus.[1]

Built in baroque style, the interior has three naves.[2] In the left nave, the reliquary float of St. Alphius, made of silver, is stored. The float is carried throughout the main streets of Lentini during the celebrations for Saints Alphius (9–11 May), the patron saint of the town.[3] The right nave hosts the sepulchres of the martyrs Alphius, Philadelphus and Cyrinus.[2][4]

Notably, the church hosts a Byzantine icon of the Virgin Hodegetria dated from the 12th century.[2][4]

References
  1. Valenti, Francesco. "Le chiese più belle". LentiniOnLine.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 9 October 2006. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  2. "Basiliche e chiese a Siracusa". Meta Sicilia (in Italian). Archived from the original on 21 July 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  3. "Lentini: la festa di S.Alfio". LentiniOnLine.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 19 July 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  4. Breci, Silvio (3 August 2019). "Lentini celebra la compatrona della città, la Madonna del Castello". WebMarte.tv (in Italian). Archived from the original on 15 October 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
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