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S. Gerlando Cathedral Agrigento

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B&B MiraValle Agrigento - San Gerlando Cathedral

From the B & B Miravalle Agrigento you can reach on foot the Cathedral, just 750 meters walking through the alleys of the historical center of Agrigento.

The Cathedral of Saint Gerland stands near the historic centre at the top of a flight of steps on the edge of a cliff. The church was founded in the Eleventh century by the bishop Gerland, who became the patron saint of the city. His remains are preserved in a silver box in the chapel within the cathedral and is one of the few relics to have survived both the onslaughts of time and the menace of theft.

From the vantage point of the passing of over two millennia, we have a marvellous retrospective view of the renovation the church has undergone over the centuries. The unusual bell-tower which, though begun in the fifteenth century was never finished is worthy of note, as is the large Arab/Norman window frame, baroque balcony, and westerly painted wooden ceiling dating from 1518.

The height of the Presbytery renders the acoustics within the church truly formidable. A whisper below the entrance can be heard perfectly from the apse! The faithful would perhaps be wise to be careful when and where they make confession!

Agrigento Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Agrigento, Cattedrale Metropolitana di San Gerlando) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Agrigento, Sicily, dedicated to Saint Gerland. Founded in the 11th century, it was consecrated in 1099 as the seat of the restored bishop of Agrigento. The diocese was elevated to an archdiocese in 2000, and the cathedral is thus now the seat of the Archbishop of Agrigento.

Source: Italy Guides


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