Chiesa di Santa Teresa

Southeastern Sicily


The 18th-century Chiesa di Santa Teresa has numerous points of interest, among them a striking geometric floor made of white Cosimo limestone and black Ragusa pitch stone and a 16th-century fresco featuring a rare inscription in Sicilianised Latin. Pietro Cultraro's stuccowork is also notable, as are the mid-19th-century ceiling frescoes and paintings of St Teresa's life, executed by talented small-town priest Don Gaetano Di Stefano.

Also worth noting is the crucifix on the side wall, unusual in its portrayal of Christ without a crown of thorns and with red roses (a symbol of the Carmelite order) substituted for nails. Cumulative tickets are available, including a full-tour ticket (€8) that includes guided tours of nearby Palazzo Spadaro and Palazzo Municipio, the latter home to two sets from the hugely popular TV series Inspector Montalbano.