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AraboThe Church of Saint Gaetano at the Caves
The church of Saint Gaetano at the Caves rise up on the remains of an
old temple built in 262 d.C. by the bishop S. Everio. It is situated in
Catania, in Carlo Alberto square, the seat of the historical Fera ô luni, a few metres by the
sanctuary of Carmine, half-hidden by the adjacent constructions. - History
In the VII century, with the muslim conquest of the Sicily, the higher church was demolished or, more probably, was abandoned. With the advent of Normans the church was restored and maybe at this period are dated back the big columns of the presbytery, while is sized the entrance at the underground church, that becomes in this way the crypt for the higher temple, through the construction of a steep staircase in lava stone.
However the lower temple, that was periodically flooded for the presence of the source that nourished the old well, was clogged soon by muddy debris and fell in oblivion. Only in 1558 the building was abandoned and cleaned, thanks to Carmelites friars. In this date maybe there was the veneration of the Saint of Thiene and the dedication to Saint Maria of Bethlehem of the hypogeum temple, because it was tied to the cult of the Crib, rose up in Italy after the work of Saint Francesco in Greccio. It was partly demolished in 1674 for the construction of the near bastion of Saint Michele. The earthquake in 1693 further destroyed the higher building, probably due to a inadequate mansonry technique of the medieval period which was added the instability due to the dismantling came almost twenty years before, and a part of the lower level. The rebuilt suffered different exchanges of project and lasted for a long-term, which was completed only in 1801 under the bishop Corrado Deodato Moncada. The rebuilt was happened only thanks to the contributions of the confraternity of Saint Gaetano that meanwhile was formed for the conduct of the church. It was abandoned again after the damage of the bombardments allied during the second world war was re-opened at the cult in the eighties and then was re-opened again "a hiccup". Currently the lower church, in addiction the the normal services managed by the rector father Antonino Lo Curto, it is twinned with the russian-orthodox monastery of Divnogorje and it hosted the orthodox comunity of Catania for the Sunday Masses.
- Saint Gaetano at the Caves
In 1558, was recognised as a building of strategic importance, beyond the religious importance, was equipped of a small fortress system which today remains a few tracks in the south side. In 1575 appears for the first time in a view of Catania with the title of The Cave, even if was already officiated in honour of Saint Gaetano. In 1674 was partially demolished for improve the defences by this side of the city. The final collapse of the church is dated back in 1693 caused by a earthquake of Noto Valley. The rebuilt employed more than one hundred years and the opening was only in 1801, presenting the temple as we can see it today.
The new building is presented in a longitudinal map with the presbytery slightly raised and with a flat apse. The front is extremely sober, presenting itself in two different orders divided by a frame that is sustained by four smooth pilasters of composite order: in the first there is a large architraved entrance; in the second a niche that hosted the statue of Saint Gaetano with in his arms the Holy Child. Inside we find a single nave and the rhytm is articulated by the alternation of niches of different heights that are divided each others by double pilasters that are even reflected on the barrel vaulted roof with the presence of double arches. In the presbytery there are twelve corinthian columns, that are ordered in group of three and that are joined by powerful round arches, that support a cap through the four sails of the corners. On the fund of a rectangular apse on which we can see the tracks of the restoration of the 18th century. Other remains of the eighteenth century are two lateral altars that are constructed in inlays of polychrome marbles.
It was ruined in the second conflict, a period in which probably the hypogean church was used as a refuge, it suffered also of badly made restorations that alternated the historical readability of it. Only recently the church is slowly re-gaining its dignity, despite the fact that it is semi-suffocated from the stalls of the market, thanks also at the original initiatives including the expediting of sacraments in songs, processions of oriental taste, the use of a greek language.
- Leggende e Tradizioni
In accordance with the tradition the lower church hosted the remains of Sain Agatha from her death (251) to her burial in Vetere in 264. Always according with the tradition here Saint Lucia prayed to having the same strenght. The martyr of Syracuse fainted in this place and had a vision of the deceased cousin that sayed her to have the same strenght and to continue her belief in Christ. Another tradition wants that at the same time Saint Euplio, co-patron of Catania, was temporarily buried here after his death in 304.
In moder era instead a history rather interesting is tied at the reconstruction after the 1693. It is said that a pious woman had a vision in dream of the Madonna with in her arms the Child that asked her to be saved cause she was suffocating in the rubbles. The woman received specific instructions on where people needed to dig. The woman asked for helpo, but nobody asked her if not for that fact that accidentally a gropu of devotees to Saint Gaetano heared the story of the dream and decided to join their efforts to search the described place, and effectively was discovered the remains of the entrance of the crypt. In this way it was decided to erect a temple above, entitled to Saint Gaetano.
In moder era instead a history rather interesting is tied at the reconstruction after the 1693. It is said that a pious woman had a vision in dream of the Madonna with in her arms the Child that asked her to be saved cause she was suffocating in the rubbles. The woman received specific instructions on where people needed to dig. The woman asked for helpo, but nobody asked her if not for that fact that accidentally a gropu of devotees to Saint Gaetano heared the story of the dream and decided to join their efforts to search the described place, and effectively was discovered the remains of the entrance of the crypt. In this way it was decided to erect a temple above, entitled to Saint Gaetano.
