Caltanissetta Cathedral, also known as the Church of Santa Maria la Nova, is the cathedral of the Diocese of Caltanissetta.
History The earliest known mother church was the Church of Santa Maria, later called degli Angeli (due to a painting of the Madonna surrounded by angels) or la Vetere to distinguish it from the new mother church. This new church, built around the year 1000 as the palatine chapel of the Pietrarossa Castle, became the parish seat by a decree of Frederick II in 1239. Before this, pastoral care was entrusted to the Santo Spirito Abbey (since 1095).
In the 15th century, the parish was relocated to the Church of Santa Domenica within the city, and in 1518, to the larger San Domenico Church.
In the 16th century, as the city expanded north of the castle and the mother church, which became peripheral, the people expressed a desire for a larger, more centrally located mother church. In 1545, Archpriest Francesco Diforti established a committee for the construction of a new church, which acquired the small Immacolata church and a large plot of land in the so-called Chianu di l'olivi, facing the Carmine church and convent.
In 1570, the construction of the temple began with a solemn cornerstone ceremony and was completed in 1622. Originally, it had three naves, each ending in a large chapel: the central one dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, the left to the Blessed Sacrament, and the right to Saint Michael the Archangel. The naves ended before the current transept.
From 1718 to 1720, at the expense of Archpriest Raffaele Riccobene, the Flemish painter Guglielmo Borremans (1670–1744) was commissioned, along with his son Luigi, to fresco the vault and central nave and to paint the altarpiece of the high altar, depicting the Immaculate Conception.
On July 26, 1733, the mother church was consecrated by the Bishop of Agrigento, Lorenzo Gioeni, under the title of Santa Maria la Nova and Saint Michael the Archangel.
Through his will, Don Raffaele Riccobene left a substantial sum to complete the internal decorations and, if funds remained, for the facade. Work on the facade and the raising of the left bell tower began in 1782 and concluded with the construction of the right bell tower in 1856. In 1848, with 400 ounces donated by Baroness Agata Barile Giordano, an iron fence was built to enclose the parvise, which was reduced in 1892 and removed in the 1950s. It was restored, though much smaller, in 2010, through the free labor of the blacksmiths' guild of the Real Maestranza.
In the meantime, with the establishment of the Diocese of Caltanissetta in 1844, the mother church was elevated to a cathedral, as commemorated by the plaque on the main portal.
In 1922, expansion work began (construction of the transept and presbytery), which was halted during World War II but resumed afterward due to the severe bombing of July 9, 1943, which destroyed part of the frescoed vault. The work, including the restoration of the vault, was completed in 1946.
Description
The cathedral features a broad facade divided by pilasters, flanked by two bell towers, and dominates the entire Piazza Garibaldi. The interior, in the shape of a Latin cross, is divided into three naves supported by fourteen arches, each dedicated to a figure from the Old Testament. Before the 1943 bombing, these arches supported figures of the twelve apostles. At the intersection of the two arms of the cross, above the altar, is the dome.
The remarkable series of frescoes adorning the central nave is the work of the Flemish painter Guglielmo Borremans (1670–1744), who worked in Caltanissetta in 1720. The three central scenes, depicting the Immaculate Conception, the Coronation of the Virgin, and the triumph of Saint Michael, are presented to visitors alongside depictions of cherubs, clouds, and gilded floral stucco. The lavish stucco decorative scheme, consisting of friezes, volutes, medallions, shells, faux pillars, and columns in the rocaille style, was crafted by Francesco Ferrigno. A signed work with the inscription "Franciscus Ferrigno, Architectus Panormitanus" is documented on the faux niche of the high altar.
In the second chapel on the right, notable is the presence of a wooden statue of the Immaculate Conception, crafted in 1760, adorned with precious silver foil drapery. In the chapel adjacent to the main one, there are representations of Saint Michael (patron of the city since the 17th century), a wooden statue by Stefano Li Volsi, and the archangels Gabriel and Raphael, marble sculptures by Vincenzo Vitaliano. On the high altar, one can admire the Immaculate Conception and Saints, a large altarpiece by Borremans. Also noteworthy are a precious carved and decorated organ, a painting of Our Lady of Mount Carmel by Filippo Paladini (1544–1614), and a crucifix once attributed to Friar Umile from Petralia (1580–1639).
In the right nave, at the Blessed Sacrament chapel, formerly the choir chapel, there is a large stained glass window completed in two phases, in 1958 and 1965, by Amalia Panigati, depicting the Stories of the Life of Saint Ursula and Saint Francis Xavier.
The cathedral's exterior is enhanced by the vast and lively square dedicated to Giuseppe Garibaldi: standing opposite is the 16th-century San Sebastiano Church, and at the center is the scenic Triton Fountain by Gaetano Averna (installed on December 15, 1956), featuring a bronze group from 1890 by sculptor Michele Tripisciano (1860–1913).
Left nave
Saint Felix Chapel:
The first chapel in the left nave is dedicated to Saint Felix. It contains two sepulchral monuments, both dedicated to members of the Barile family, Giuseppe and Giovanni. At the center is a painting by the Caltanissetta painter Vincenzo Roggeri, depicting the martyrdom of Saint Felix, with the saint kneeling in the foreground, hands clasped, awaiting his execution; behind him, a man with a raised sword. In the upper right, a man seated on a high pedestal is about to give the execution order. Below the painting is an altar with a reliquary. In 1883, the Barile family commissioned the Palermitan Giuseppe Patania to restore Roggeri's painting. They purchased an altar (still present today) from Acireale, paved the chapel with marble, and enclosed it with gates. They also commissioned a sculpted and gilded urn, designed by Baron Starrabba, to house the saint's relics. These relics were placed in the urn on the second Sunday of July 1883, following a solemn ceremony presided over by Bishop Monsignor Giovanni Guttadauro.
Crucifix Chapel:
The Crucifix Chapel is the second chapel in the left nave. At its center is a crucifix attributed to Friar Umile from Petralia. On either side, in two niches, are sculptures by the Neapolitan Francesco Biangardi: Saint John and Our Lady of Sorrows. The chapel is also decorated with stucco, and at its center is a marble altar. The balustrade is a devotional work by Enrico Meschino, built in 1927.
Our Lady of the Rosary Chapel:
This chapel contains three statues in separate niches: at the center, Our Lady of the Rosary, on the left wall a saint, and on the right wall Saint Isidore the Laborer.
Commemorative Inscription of Arcangelo Vignuzzi:
On the pillar separating the Rosary Chapel from the Redeemer Chapel is a plaque in memory of citizen Arcangelo Vignuzzi, which reads:
The original inscription is rich in abbreviations, here presented in full. This inscription, dating to 1776, was originally placed in the floor but was relocated to its current position after the floor was redone. The plaque is framed by a marble border and divided into two parts: at the top is the coat of arms, presumably of the family, surmounted by a crown frieze; below is the commemorative inscription in honor of Vignuzzi. Mulè Bertòlo's work, which cites information from Luciano Aurelio Barrile, Don Camillo Genovese, and Biagio Punturo, provides insights into Arcangelo Vignuzzi's life: he was born on February 28, 1715, in Caltanissetta. He studied literature and philosophy with the Jesuits, then excelled in jurisprudence in Palermo, where he settled. He held important positions, including praetorian judge in 1760 and 1761; in 1763, during a severe famine, he visited Sicilian universities as a delegate minister to assess available resources; in 1769 and 1770, he was elevated to the office of judge of the Consistory. After becoming blind, he returned to Caltanissetta, where he died on June 1, 1776, at the age of sixty-one, and this monument was dedicated to him.
Jesus the Redeemer Chapel:
The statue of the Redeemer is placed on a marble altar in the center of this chapel, a work dated 1914 by the Lecce artist Giuseppe Malecore. This statue is still carried in procession today. On the left wall is a painting depicting the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Caltanissetta, Monsignor Antonio Augusto Intreccialagli, by the Sancataldese painter Carmelo Giunta, created in 1927. On the right wall is the sepulchral monument of Bishop Monsignor Giovanni Iacono. Since September 28, 2019, his mortal remains, transferred from the Cathedral of Ragusa at the request of Bishop Monsignor Mario Russotto, are also housed in a sarcophagus. The balustrade was a gift from an archdeacon in 1931.
Saint Stephen Chapel:
In the chapel dedicated to Saint Stephen, a large painting by Vincenzo Roggeri is placed at the center, depicting the moment of the saint's stoning, where he sees the heavens open and the Trinity preparing to crown him. Around him are various figures collecting and throwing stones. On the right is the sepulchral monument of Monsignor Giovanni Rizzo, Bishop of Rossano.
Saint Anne Chapel:
The last chapel in the left nave, before the transept, is dedicated to Saint Anne. It features a painting by Vincenzo Roggeri, in which the Virgin holds the Child Jesus on her lap, to whom Saint Anne offers a cherry from a basket carried by a putto. On either side are depictions of Saint Joseph and Saint Joachim. On the right wall is the sepulchral monument of Bishop Monsignor Francesco Monaco, and above it is a painting of a friar. On the right wall is a painting by an unknown 18th-century artist depicting Father Antonio Bellavia at the moment of his martyrdom.
Sacred Heart of Jesus Chapel:
After the transept, the last chapel in the left nave is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which housed the Blessed Sacrament until 2002. On May 10, 1993, during a pastoral visit by Pope John Paul II to the Diocese of Caltanissetta, the pontiff prayed in this chapel. To commemorate the event, a statue of the saint, donated by artist Martin Emschermann, was placed here in 2019. On the right wall is a commemorative plaque. The chapel's decorations date to the 1960s, during the tenure of Monsignor Giovanni Magrì. This chapel is also called the "Divine Mercy Chapel" in honor of the feast established by the same pontiff who visited the city years earlier.
Right nave
Baptistery Chapel:
The right nave begins with the chapel housing the baptismal font. Above, on the central wall, is a work by Jusepe de Ribera. The baptismal font was created in 1740 at the expense of parish priest Agostino Riva.
Immaculate Conception Chapel:
This chapel houses the statue of the Immaculate Conception, by Antonio Lacerda, dated 1760, placed on a marble altar at the center. On the right wall is the sepulchral monument of the first bishop of the Diocese of Caltanissetta, Monsignor Antonino Maria Stromillo, a work by the Palermitan Biagio Marino. On the left are the remains of Bishop Monsignor Baldassare Leone, who died in Caltanissetta during a pastoral visit.
Holy Urn Chapel:
This chapel contains one of the sixteen "vare" that process through the streets of Caltanissetta on Holy Thursday night. A work from 1892 by the Neapolitan sculptor Francesco Biangardi, many consider the angel surmounting the statue to be among the most beautiful in Sicily.
Saint Lawrence Chapel: