The Church of Santa Maria Porta, located near one of the main gates of Geraci Siculo, è an ancient place of worship with a rich artistic heritage. The name derives from its location adjacent to an ancient military outpost, probably the “Castelluccio” still mentioned in local toponymy.
The original monastery was transformed into a place of worship in the mid-15th century, assuming a Latin cross layout. Entrance to the church is through an elegant white marble portal on the western side. The decoration of the portal, made in 1496, follows Renaissance patterns and has affinities with the side portal of the Mother Church of Mistretta and, even more so, with the eastern portal of the Mother Church of Alcamo. It depicts the Madonna and Child, angels, cherubs and God the Father between the archangel Gabriel and the Annunciation, with detailed reliefs of Adam and Eve, putti and coats of arms.
Many works of art can be admired inside, including a splendid late 15th-century fresco depicting the Virgin nursing the Child on a throne covered by a polygonal canopy. The church also houses a marble statue of the Madonna and Child from 1475, attributed to Domenico Gagini or his Palermo workshop, and a valuable marble altarpiece in the chancel dating from the early decades of the 16th century.
The bell tower, built beginning in 1611 by Gregorio de Messina and Antonio Gambaro of Castelbuono, leads to the stone portal on the northern front. Unfortunately, the original spire of the bell tower, made of polychrome bricks, was destroyed by lightning in the last century.
All these features make it a must-see destination for those è interested in Renaissance architecture and art in Sicily.