Mother Church of Saint George martyr, Renaissance church in Caccamo, Italy.
The Mother Church of Saint George Martyr faces Piazza Duomo with a 1651 facade of paired pilasters, a broken pediment and a central relief of Saint George by Gaspare Guercio (1660). Its Latin-cross interior has three naves on monolithic local-stone columns, a cubic dome raised in 1772 and a crypt holding the tombs of princes Filippo and Antonio Amato.
The church was founded in 1616 after a canon decided the town needed a larger place of worship for its growing population. Its name reflects medieval Norman times, when the region saw an important military victory.
The church's dedication to Saint George comes from the Normans, who chose the warrior saint after their victory over the Saracens near Cerami in 1090. On the facade, a round relief carved by Gaspare Guercio in 1660 shows George saving a girl. In the crypt are the tombs of princes Filippo and Antonio Amato and members of the De Spucches family.
The building sits centrally on Piazza Duomo and is easy to reach on foot when exploring the town center. Visitors should wear appropriate clothing and be aware that as an active parish church, it may not be open to visitors during services.
The round relief on the facade, carved by Gaspare Guercio in 1660, shows Saint George rescuing a maiden. On the bell tower, 4,200 majolica tiles depicting the saint were commissioned from Onofrio Cosentino on 17 June 1650 and set on its four faces. A lightning strike in 1790 destroyed the spire, rebuilt in conical form by Nicolò Pruiti.
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