San Michele Arcangelo, Grammichele, Baroque church in Grammichele, Italy
San Michele Arcangelo is a Baroque church in Grammichele featuring three naves, a transept, and a tall dome above the crossing. The interior is decorated with late-Baroque stuccowork and statues of the twelve apostles.
After the 1693 earthquake destroyed Occhiolà, Bishop Francesco Fortezza ordered that no other church be built before the new mother church. The first stone was laid on 18 April 1693, but construction began in 1724 to a design by Andrea Amato, who won the 1722 competition for 15 onze. The church opened for worship in 1757, as inscribed on the side entrance.
The town chose Saint Michael as patron because he was held to protect against earthquakes; Saint Catherine of Alexandria, patron of the destroyed Occhiolà, is co-titular. Inside are a Dispute of Saint Catherine of Alexandria by an unknown painter and a Saint Michael with a standard of the Virgin.
The church is located on the central Piazza Carlo Maria Carafa next to the Palazzo Communale and is open during regular visiting hours. Its central position makes it easy to access and visitors can view the facade completely from the surrounding square.
The facade's upper order, with its three-light bell opening and triangular pediment, is the work attributed to Carlo Sada, who also added the clock there; the lower portal bears the inscription "Divo Michaeli Arcangelo Dicatum". The lateral entrance records the year the church opened for worship: 1757.
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