Church of San Nicolò di Bari

The Church of San Nicolò di Bari, dedicated to the Patron Saint of Gioiosa Marea, is the largest building of worship in the Tyrrhenian town. The Mother Church, as in the case of the other churches, represents a re-proposal of one built in the ancient Gioiosa Guardia. In this case, the Church of the Mount, so called because it was located in the western end of the village, which was active until the early 1800s. With the movement of the patron saint to the coastal center, religious services were initially held in the environment that today is the sacristy. The construction of today's church was completed in 1855, while the bell tower dates back to 1902. The facade is characterized by the stone portal which houses the effigy of the saint in a niche. The interior has three naves. The high altar, in marble mixes of 1771 translated from the old church, houses the wooden statue of the owner. The left altar of 1778, also in mixed marble, houses the Blessed Sacrament. At the moment, the Mother Church is not open to the public, for reconstruction and restoration works following the collapse of the apse vault.