The Cathedral of Santa Maria La Nuova (The New Santa Maria) is the largest church of Licata, center of the most important and solemn religious events. Its construction began in the sixteenth century, following the fact that some centuries before people abandoned the inhabited Sant’Angelo mountain to settle near the sea and within the city walls. The church is entitled “Santa Maria La Nuova” to distinguish it from “La vetere” (the old one), ancient cathedral of Licata, and is dedicated to Nativity of the Virgin.
You will immediately invested by the monumental grandeur of the building, which has a basilica with a Latin cross and three aisles. Inside you can admire in the side altars the imposing paintings by Friar Felice from Sambuca (XVIII century) and on the vault the frescoes by Raffaele Politi (XIX century).
Interesting and ancient is the marble baptismal font of the late fifteenth century. by the sculptor Gabriele Di Battista from Como, placed in the baptistery. The lustral bath is supported by an artistic column where the cardinal virtues are carved (fortitude, justice, prudence and temperance).
Both transepts have two chapels, one of which was unfortunately destroyed by fire in 1988. It was the chapel of MADONNA OF MAENZA (of SEMENZA or PILAR) built in the second half of the XVIII century.
The other, located in the right arm of the transept, is the splendid CAPPELLA DEL CROCEFISSO NERO (CHAPEL OF BLACK CRUCIFIX), an excellent work of religiosity and baroque art. The chapel, built between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, it is entirely covered with inlaid wooden panels, was chosen to host the crucifix that miraculously remained unharmed by the flames caused during the tragic Franco-Turkish invasion of 11 July 1553. This chapel is very dear to Licata’s people, they have a lot of devotion.
The crucifix was created in 1469 by two brothers artists Paolo and Jacopo De Li Matinati from Messina.
In the side walls of the chapel there are two pictorial series: in the lower part the four large Passion canvases, while in the upper part there are six canvases depicting the prophets and kings of Old Testament.
The front wall is occupied by the complex wooden altar of “berninian” (from Bernini artist) inspiration, where in centre dominates the crucifix, around twisted columns of Corinthian order that support the entablatur.
Spectacular is the carved coffered roof with polygonal figures and rosettes.
