Caccamo Cathedral (, or ) is the main church in the Italian city of

Caccamo Caccamo ( Sicilian: ''Càccamu'') is a town and ''comune'' located on the Tyrrhenian coast of Sicily in the Metropolitan City of Palermo. History The official founding of Caccamo was not until 1093, when the Normans started to build the castle ...

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

. The largest church in the city, it belongs to the

Archdiocese of Palermo The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Palermo () is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church. It was founded as the Diocese of Palermo in the first century and raised to the status of archdiocese in the 11th century.George the Martyr originated with the Normans and was in memory of their victory over the Saracens near

Cerami Cerami ( Sicilian: ''Cirami'') is a ''comune'' in Sicily, southern Italy, part of the Province of Enna. The town itself is perched on a mountaintop above sea level. A river also named Cerami flows through this area. Cerami produces cereals, ...

in 1090..

History

According to popular tradition the city's first duomo was the church of Sant'Anna e Santa Venera, now destroyed, on the margins of the ancient 'Terravecchia' quarter just outside Caccamo Castle. Around 1094 the first mother church was built, which seems to have been a small chapel for the Norman royal court - it is recorded on a stone inscription now inside the present building. The first church dedicated to Saint George was on the same site, funded by the

Chiaramonte The Chiaramonte are a noble family of Sicily. They became the most powerful and wealthy family in Sicily. In the 13th century the marriage of Manfredi Chiaramonte to Isabella Mosca, united the two Sicilian counties of Modica and Ragusa. Ar ...

family. Between 1477 and 1480 it was extended and enriched with several artworks, expressions of the Sicilian Renaissance, thanks to the generosity of the

Enríquez Enriquez is a Spanish patronymic surname meaning "son of Enrique" and a common surname in Mexico, Ecuador and the Philippines.Agostino Inveges, the most authoritative historical source, the church remained small even after this expansion. In 1606 the jurors, the Enríquez and Amato families and canon Paolo Muscia decided to build a new larger mother church to meet the city's now-expanded population. A design from commissioned from the Termitan architect

Vincenzo La Barbera Vincenzo La Barbera (c. 1577 – 1642) was an Italian Mannerist architect and painter. Biography The son of Pietro and Domenica de Michele, his family were of Ligurian descent. The artist was born in Termini Imerese, to which his grandfather ...

. In

1614 Events January–March * January 22 – Led by Hasekura Tsunenaga, Japan's trade expedition to New Spain (now Mexico) arrives on the Mexican coast with 22 samurai, 120 Japanese merchants, sailors and servants, and 40 Spaniards and Port ...

the church was rebuilt in the

Sicilian Baroque Sicilian Baroque is the distinctive form of Baroque architecture which evolved on the island of Sicily, off the southern coast of Italy, in the , when it was part of the Spanish Empire. The style is recognisable not only by its typical Baroque c ...

style, funded by donations from the city's merchants. All the artworks from the previous building were placed in the new one, which now also houses subsequent commissions and artworks from other abandoned or destroyed churches.

Exterior

Interior

South aisle

North aisle

Transepts

South

North

Apse and chancel

Sacristy

Gallery

File:Caccamo - San Giorgio Martire 0180.JPG, High relief by

Gaspare Guercio Gaspare Guercio (1611 - 1670/1679) was an Italian artist, nicknamed 'Guercio' and a major proponent of the Sicilian Baroque. He was principally a sculptor but also a designer of decorative schemes for architectural projects. He collaborated wi ...

from the facade, showing Saint George File:90012 Caccamo PA, Italy - panoramio (9).jpg, The complex File:Caccamo - San Giorgio Martire 0177.JPG, The 'colonna della gogna' File:Caccamo - San Giorgio Martire 0205.JPG, Bell-tower and exterior of the dome File:Caccamo - San Giorgio Martire 0296.JPG, Interior of the dome File:Caccamo - San Giorgio Martire 0293.JPG, North aisle File:Caccamo - San Giorgio Martire 0295.JPG, Ceiling frescoes File:Caccamo - San Giorgio Martire 0294.JPG, Central aisle File:Miracolo di Sant'Isidoro Agricola - Stomer.jpg, Matthias Stomer, ''Miracle of Saint Isidore Agricola'', 1641, in the sacristy

References

Bibliography

{{coord, 37.93093, 13.66048, format=dms, type:landmark_region:IT, display=title Roman Catholic churches completed in 1616 Churches in the metropolitan city of Palermo 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy 1616 establishments in Italy Caccamo