Santissimo Crocifisso, Catholic church in Santa Maria di Licodia, Italy

The Santissimo Crocifisso is a church in Santa Maria di Licodia with a structure that features a main altar holding a wooden crucifix and several side altars dedicated to different saints throughout its interior. The space combines religious artworks and architectural elements that define the sanctuary.

The church's origins are early medieval, likely Byzantine, as a Marian worship site and hermitage. A Greek-language diploma records its donation by Simon of Policastro, count of Paternò, to the Benedictine monks of Sant'Agata in Catania, dated 1143. In 1205 Bishop Ruggero de Oco raised the monastery to abbatial dignity and granted parish rights, confirmed in 1206 by Cardinal Gerardo of Sant'Adriano. In 1344 abbot Jacopo de Soris moved the monastic seat to a healthier site, where the new church was begun in 1359.

The church serves as the center for religious celebrations in the community, drawing residents together especially during traditional processions when the faithful gather to honor their beliefs. These gatherings shape the social rhythm of the town.

The building is centrally located in town and easy to reach when visiting the local church. Visitors should arrive during regular hours and enter the sanctuary with appropriate reverence.

The massive tower beside the left wall is of Arab origin and was later fitted with the heraldic crest of the Platamone family, topped by an abbot's mitre, in 1453. Under abbot Jacopo de Soris the church took on the form of an Ecclesia Munita, a fortified church within the Kingdom of Sicily's defences between Etna and the Simeto.