Church and village of Santa Rita

3 Minutes of reading

Located in the hamlet of Santa Rita, a district of Caltanissetta founded in 1895 by Rosario La Lomia, the church was built between 1938 and 1942 by the will of the baron in honor of his wife Rita.

Chiesa di Santa Rita

Dedicated to Saint Rita of Cascia, the church dominates the staircase leading to the small farming village with its pink-colored façade and a sharp bell tower 25 meters high, nestled between Mount Pisciacane and the surrounding hills.

The single-nave interior ends in an octagonal apse and features an altar in polychrome marble dating back to the time of its foundation, while the plain walls host ex-votos and devotional paintings that bear witness to the deep popular devotion to the “saint of impossible causes.”

Every year, on May 22, the community celebrates the patronal feast with a solemn Mass, a procession through the streets of the hamlet, and the traditional blessing of roses, blending faith, folklore, and rural solidarity in a rite that renews ancient bonds.

The village of Santa Rita, today known for its famous bakery that produces the Slow Food Presidia bread made with ancient grains and for its proximity to archaeological sites such as the Castelluccian tombs and the sulfur kilns, hides a story that goes beyond its current attractions. Originally called Borgo Pisciacane, it was not conceived as a state-founded settlement but arose as a private rural hamlet toward the end of the 19th century. It was founded precisely in 1895 by Baron Rosario La Lomia of Canicattì, following the purchase of the vast estates of Pisciacane and Draffù, thus becoming an agricultural center built on a rocky spur at the foot of Mount Pisciacane.
Although administratively a hamlet of Caltanissetta, its geographical position ties it more closely to Delia and Sommatino. This proximity is also reflected in the management of services: for example, the village’s security has traditionally been entrusted to the Carabinieri Station of Delia, and its religious life is equally linked to Delia, since the local church, a rectory, is entrusted to a priest from the clergy of that town.
Its architecture is typical of small rural settlements, organized around a central square dominated by the church dedicated to Saint Rita, accessible via a staircase that once served as the main gathering place for social life. 

Borgo Santa Rita

A central element of the village is the Palazzotto La Lomia, the old baronial residence dating back to the 19th century, which, after a restoration in 2016, was transformed into the “Micromuseum of Grain and Bread”, highlighting the long-standing local cereal tradition. The street names, such as “Via del Castaldi” or “Via delle Spighe,” evoke and honor the first village families and their agricultural activities.
Although the village experienced severe depopulation during the second half of the 20th century - often being labeled a “ghost town”- it underwent a remarkable revival in the 2000s, driven by the success of the bakery and by Slow Tourism and widespread hospitality initiatives. Thus, it has managed to transform its history of abandonment and rural authenticity into an attraction for tourism and gastronomy, thanks also to the commitment of a local cultural association devoted to preserving and promoting its memory.

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