The church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mother Church of Bagheria. It was built at the behest of Prince Salvatore Branciforti in 1769 and dedicated to the Nativity of Mary.
What to see
The prince wanted it along the new urban axis of Bagheria. In that same year, 1769, according to the entry on the comune, the main axis of the town's layout was taking shape, the work of Salvatore Branciforte: Corso Butera, popularly called Stratuni to distinguish it from the Stratunieddu, that is Corso Umberto I.
The church was completed in 1771 to a design by Salvatore Attinelli. In 1872, at the wish of Domenico Mangione, a clock was installed on the façade.
Visiting
The church is in Bagheria. The sources consulted give no opening hours or information on the interior: check them on the spot or with the parish.
Our editors' tip
The patron saint of Bagheria is Saint Joseph: the official feast falls on 19 March, but in the town it is celebrated on the first Sunday of August, with religious ceremonies throughout the preceding week and a finish with fireworks on the Monday evening. The sources do not say whether the services take place in this church.
