Santa Maria la Cava e Sant'Alfio

Santa Maria la Cava e Sant'Alfio
Santa Maria la Cava e Sant'Alfio
	Facade
Religion
Affiliation	Catholic Church
Location
Location	Lentini, Italy
Architecture
Architect(s)	Vincenzo Vella da Malta
Type	Church
Style	Baroque
Groundbreaking	1693
Completed	1747
Website
	Official website

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 Roman Catholic church in Lentini, province of Syracuse, Sicily Italy.

History and description

The central nave

The present church 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] Construction began in 1700 and continued until 1750.

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 in a procession through 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

Valenti, Francesco. "Le chiese più belle". LentiniOnLine.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 9 October 2006. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
"Basiliche e chiese a Siracusa". Meta Sicilia (in Italian). Archived from the original on 21 July 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
"Lentini: la festa di S.Alfio". LentiniOnLine.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 19 July 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
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.

External links

Official website

37.28535°N 14.99835°E / 37.28535; 14.99835

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[1] Valenti, Francesco. "Le chiese più belle". LentiniOnLine.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 9 October 2006. Retrieved 14 October 2019.

[metasicilia-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.

[breci-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.