The church of Sant'Antonio Abate is right in the old centre of Paternò, on piazza Vittorio Veneto, in the quarter named after it. Its building date is uncertain, but it is documented from the sixteenth century: originally dedicated to Santa Maria di Gesù, it was part of the friary of the Observant Friars Minor founded by the Moncada. During the plague of 1576 it was one of the town's two pesthouses.
What to see
The façade is plain, with a lava stone portal and broken pediment; above the central window is a shield with the emblems of Saint Anthony carved in white stone, and beside it rises a massive bell tower with a small dome on an octagonal base. The interior is rectangular, with a single nave and much stucco decoration. The four side altars hold large canvases: Saint Joseph the Worker and Saint Margaret on the left, Jesus and Mary with Saint Francis and Saint Anthony Abbot on the right.
High up along the walls are frescoes, including a Saint Barbara, and on the barrel vault a large fresco of the Assumption. At the foot of the apse two small carved wooden altars flank the modern marble high altar, on which stands the silver-coloured statue of the Immaculate Conception. The church was restored in 1963 and is the centre of devotion to the Child Mary.
Visiting
The church is on piazza Vittorio Veneto. Opening hours should be checked with the parish.
Our editors' tip
During the procession of Saint Barbara, the town's patron, every year the saint's float enters this church for a pause before continuing on its way.
