Saint Blaise Church

St. Blaise Church it’s located in piazza Stesicoro and is also called Church of Saint Agatha “alla fornace”, it overlooks on the Roman amphitheatre’s ruins.

Even this construction, whose original structure dates back to 1098, was rebuilt in the eighteenth century after the earthquake of 1693 at the behest of Bishop Andrea Riggio that established inside the secular priests’ congregation that is dedicated to Holy Mary of Seven Sorrows, as it’s indicated by the Addolorata medallion set in the center of the facade and created by sculptor Salvatore Calì.

It’s a place of Agatha worship and holds “the furnace” (located behind the altar), a relic that commemorates the martyrdom of burning coals suffered to Saint Agatha, hence the popular name of the Church “Carcarella”, that means “small furnace”.

Inside the historically significant artifacts are the wooden crucifix and the silver “Our Lady of Sorrows” of the eighteenth century.