The church of San Giacomo is a small church in Paternò owned by the Archconfraternity of Saint James the Greater, which has its seat here. It stands in the south-eastern part of the town, at the foot of the hill, on the road to the sanctuary of the Madonna della Consolazione. It was probably built in the second half of the sixteenth century at the wish of the confraternity of San Giacomo, founded in the town at the end of the fourteenth century.
What to see
The official birth of the archconfraternity is dated to 8 September 1555, when its statutes were approved; they were confirmed by the viceroy Domenico Caracciolo on 10 November 1783. At first the church had no sacristy: one was later made from a small granary next door, which some members gave to the church by a deed of 16 August 1601.
The style is rustic: the very plain gabled façade has a round-arched portal topped by a niche with the statue of Saint James the Greater. On the right rises the square bell tower, which at the top has a windowed aedicule capped by a small dome of Arab-inspired taste.
Visiting
After partial restoration in 1934, the church was long abandoned, until the work of the two thousands. Opening hours should be checked with the archconfraternity.
Our editors' tip
The church reopened after restoration on 25 July 2006, the feast day of Saint James.
