Mother Church

The Mother Church is one of the most representative monuments of Partanna and was partially rebuilt after the earthquake. It was designed in 1536 by the baron Baldassarre Grifeo but was only consecrated more than a century later, in 1676. The outstanding interior decoration in stucco was carried out between 1692 and 1729 by Vincenzo Messina with the help of sons Giacomo and Giovanni. The façade, a bell-tower and the roof of the central nave were damaged during the 1968 earthquake but rebuilt according to the original design. The interior has a Basilica plan, three naves, double transept and a very original apse, semi-circular on the sides but ending in a square in correspondence to the central nave. Traces of the ancient columns and capitals can be seen in the presbytery. The deep chapels, featured along the lateral naves, contain prized examples of Sicilian paintings and sculptures carried out between the sixteenth century and the nineteenth century. The organ in the Mother Church, designed by the renowned engineer Paolo Amato from Palermo, has been defined as one of the most beautiful in the province of Trapani.