Church of the Holy Crucifix

The Sanctuary of the Holy Crucifix was built by the Carmelite Fathers at the end of the XVI century. The adjacent College of Mary, (la Batia), was only much later constructed alongside the church. Between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, thanks to a donation from the notable local wealthy-man Don Vincenzo Alfani and from many other devotees, the enormous job of enlarging and decorating the church was made possible. This was completed in 1813. In around the mid eighteen hundreds the bishop of Agrigento Monsignor Domenico Maria Lo Jacono undertook the task of enriching the Church of his birth town. A precious XV century AD Jewish sarcophagus, today used as a Baptismal font, and eight beautiful alabaster stone panels depicting scenes of the Old Testament are kept in the rounded Baptistery.