Once inside the church your eye is driven upwards, attracted by the majestic dome decorated in 1842 by Catanese painter Giuseppe Rapisardi. The fresco depicts St. Beryl, the city’s third
patron saint
, as St. Peter gives him the task of founding the Catanese church.
If you lower your gaze you will then see the gigantic windows, which fill the interior with light, followed by the round-bottomed grilles that allowed the nuns to attend celebrations in the church, and finally the four chapels with the altars.
The first and second of the four altars feature two of the oldest artworks, probably transferred from the old convent: a 14th-century panel depicting a Crucifixion and a painting with St. Anthony the Abbot by Pietro Abadessa from 1643. On the third altar, the first to the right of the entrance, is the painting by Olivio Sozzi from Catania. On the other side there is a sculptural group that represents the Crucifixion, with: Our Lady of Sorrows, John and Mary Magdalene.
Last but not least, we come to the
main altar
.
The uniqueness of this altar lies in its veritable status as architecture and not mere sculpture. It was created by the sculptor Giovambattista Marino based on a design attributed to
Vaccarini
.
