Santuario della Madonna del Carmine, Catania

The Santuario della Madonna del Carmine also called Basilica di Maria Santissima Annunziata al Carmine, is a Roman Catholic minor basilica church and Marian sanctuary located on Piazza Carlo Alberto, in the town of Catania, Sicily.

The first church built here, titled Santa Lucia fuori le mura, was founded atop or among the ruins of a pagan temple dedicated to Jove.

Legend holds the church was once the first burial place for Saint Agatha, but in addition, the area during the Ancient Roman era served as a necropolis.

[2] The exterior facade is notable for the giant order of columns, with a design attributed to Francesco Battaglia.

The interior has a number of large altarpieces, and funereal monuments, and a wooden icon meant to depict St Agatha but modeled after an aristocratic donor to the church, Rosalia Petruso Grimaldi, who was murdered in 1784 by her jealous husband.