Ancient little church of Marzamemi

Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel – 1752

The ancient church of the tonnara, consecrated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, was built at the behest of Baron Bernardo Calascibetta, owner of the tonnara. Work began in 1748 and ended in 1752. Inside the church were three altars, a central one with a statue of Our Lady of Pompeii, and two side altars with statues of St. Anthony of Padua and St. Francis of Paola, patron saint of Marzamemi.

Above the high altar was a painting of Our Lady of Mount Carmel holding the baby Jesus.

The church remained open for worship until 1948; that same year, in fact, due to exceptional weather events, the roof collapsed and the church was no longer usable. Renovation work began in 2020 to use the church as a Sea Museum.