Description of the attraction
Cathedral of San Gerlando is a Roman Catholic church in Agrigento, built in the 11th century and dedicated to Saint Gerland and the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The cathedral stands near the historic city center on the top of a cliff, where shady alleys lead from Piazza Pirandello. The initiator of its construction was the local bishop Gerlando, who later came to be considered the patron saint of Agrigento. His remains are kept in a silver shrine in a chapel inside the cathedral - this is one of the few relics that survived the time and intrigues of thieves and marauders.
Today, before the eyes of tourists, an amazing retrospective of the alterations that the church has undergone over many hundreds of years is unfolding. It mixed features of a variety of architectural and artistic styles - Norman, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque. Particularly large-scale reconstructions were carried out after the earthquake of 1693 and the descent of a landslide in 1745.
The unusual bell tower, which began construction in the 15th century but was never completed, deserves a very special attention thanks to its wide window frames in the Arab-Norman style, baroque balcony and painted wooden ceiling dating from 1518. The height of the presbytery creates an indescribable acoustics inside the cathedral. The word spoken in a whisper at the entrance can be easily heard in the apse at the altar level! Those who come here for confession should be attentive to what and how they say.
The Gothic portico is one of the cathedral's most memorable features, as is the work of Fanfare Brandimante, created between 1500 and 1680. The interior of the three-nave church is decorated with frescoes, sculptures and tombstones from the graves of some noble residents of Agrigento - this is a real triumph of the Baroque style. From the cathedral you can get to the sacristy and the Diocesan Museum.
