Agrigento boasts a large number of churches, of which the Cathedral is of course the most important one. Other fine churches include the Santo Spirito Abbey and the San Domenico Church. The monastery that used to belong to the former is now the seat of a museum, the one of the latter houses the town hall of the city.
Churches Agrigento
Duomo (Cathedral)
The Cathedral (Via Duomo) of Agrigento was commissioned by the Norman bishop Gerlando between 1093 and 1099. The many renovations have created a variety of styles. Whispers behind the main altar can be heard almost 30 meters away at the portal.
Santo Spirito Abbey
The Abbazia Di Santo Spirito consists of a church and a monastery and was founded around the year 1290. Highlights are the cloister and the facade decorated with a beautiful portal and rose window. The monastery now serves as an Archaeological Museum.
Chiesa Dell’Addolorata
The Chiesa Dell’Addolorata (Via Giuseppe Garibaldi) is a Baroque church in the Rabato district. Underneath the church are a number of caves, which show a model of part of this district as it looked in the 19th century. The main attraction in the church itself is a wooden Madonna statue.
San Nicola Church
The San Nicola Church (Via Passeggiata Archeologica) stands next to what remains of the ancient Ekklesiasteron. The biggest attraction of the church is a sarcophagus from the 2nd century. Also on display are a number of paintings and sculptures from the 16th century.
San Francesco di Paola Church
The Chiesa Di San Francesco Di Paola (Via Giuseppe Garibaldi, 151) was reopened in 2010 after being closed for three years due to restoration work.
San Giuseppe Church
The Chiesa Di San Giuseppe is located in the Via Atenea, one of the main streets of Agrigento.
Purgatorio Church
The Purgatorio Church in the Piazza Purgatorio is also known as the San Lorenzo Church. Construction began in the early 16th century, but it was not completed until well into the next one. Today it serves only as a space for all kinds of cultural events.
San Pietro Church
The Chiesa Di San Pietro (Address: Via Empedocle) in its present version is the result of a reconstruction in the 18th century. Its austere facade is graced by a wooden portal with two columns on either side.
Santa Maria Dei Greci Church
The Santa Maria dei Greci Church (Salita Santa Maria dei Greci, 24) is the ancient Greek-Byzantine Cathedral of the city. It is built on an ancient Doric temple, which was probably dedicated to Athens. Thanks to a plastic floor, one can see its ruins.
San Domenico Church
The Complesso Di San Domenico (Piazza Luigi Pirandello, 35) was built in the 17th century. The main attractions of the church are the paintings that adorn the eight chapels. The former convent now serves as the town hall and the seat of the Luigi Pirandello Theater.
Santuario Di San Calogero
The Santuario Di San Calogero (Piazzetta San Calogero) was built sometime between the 12th and 16th centuries. The current facade was restored to its original state in 1938.