Santuario della Madonna della Consolazione

The Santuario della Madonna della Consolazione is a church in Paternò featuring a neo-Romanesque style with red stone walls and white marble accents. The front displays a large fresco showing Mary beside the risen Christ.

The building was first constructed in 1585 as the Church of Madonna del Pietoso and renamed Madonna della Consolazione in 1616. The name change reflected shifting local devotion and the growing importance the site held for the community.

The sanctuary holds deep meaning for local communities as a place of devotion to Mary. Visitors come to pray before the central image of the Madonna, a focus of spiritual connection for many who live in the region.

The sanctuary sits on a historic hill in Paternò and is accessible on foot. Keep in mind that this is an active place of worship, so visitors should dress appropriately and maintain respectful behavior inside.

Local records describe a vision in which the Virgin Mary appeared to a young shepherdess in 1580, requesting a chapel be built at this exact location. This reported encounter is remembered as the inspiration behind what would later become this sanctuary.