7. Church of Idria

The first structure of the church, attested initially to be “San Giuliano l’Ospedaliere” for the nearby Hospitium, dates back to the 14th century .
Built in the centre of the old Jewish quarter, known as the Cartellone, it belonged to the Order of the Knights of Malta, whose crosses can be seen in several places (main door, chancel and apse). Inside, an image of the “Madonna Odygitria” (from the Greek word meaning “she who shows the way”) was worshipped, and soon after the church was soon named after her.
The bell tower, dated 1754, is a very distinctive element of the Ibla landscape. It is surmounted by an octagonal tambour housing eight polychrome terracotta panels featuring floral vases. The tower ends with a ribbed dome covered with blue majolica (Fig. a).
Scarcely damaged by the 1693 earthquake, it was enlarged and restored to its present form. The façade, with two orders (Fig. b), was completed in 1740 and features a classical layout (Fig. c), undoubtedly derived from the observation of some Serlio’s or Vignola’s treatises.
The church’s interior has three naves, separated by columns with Corinthian capitals (Fig. d). Interesting are the Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows, to the right for those entering (Fig. e), on the right entering,and the five altars, made between 1741 and 1758, some characterised by rich decorations and others by twisted columns of Rococo inspiration. In the left aisle, there is a painting on the altar depicting St. Julian and St. John the Baptist, which is attributed to Mattia Preti (Fig. f).
On the church’s flooring – made of pitchstone – there are three tomb slabs from the tombs of the clergy, the people and the Cosentini family.