In 1724, the first stone was laid in the presence of the prince, his wife Perna Gravina, the clergy, and the festive crowd. The works lasted six years, and the church was consecrated in 1738 by his brother Pietro, Bishop of Catania. The church, dedicated to Saint Joseph in honor of its patron, has a single nave and features a superb main altar and four others placed on the sides, wooden structures crafted by Franciscan hands in the first half of the 18th century.
The main altar preserves refined inlays and sculptures and a retable-reliquary. At the top is a painting depicting God the Father, followed by the date of consecration (1738) and the name of the saint to whom it is dedicated. The tabernacle, created and enriched with various types of wood such as fir, boxwood, walnut, and cypress, hosts in its center a statuette of the Immaculate Virgin, recalling the Order’s deep devotion to Mary, while the Supper at Emmaus in mother-of-pearl, set into the door of the tabernacle, evokes the Christological theme. Nineteen statuettes crowd the tabernacle, and as many as 156 relics are preserved in the retable.