In street F. Solomon, integral with the body of St. Joseph`s Church, we can see the remains of the ancient convent of Santa Domenica, the monastery of cloistered nuns, with adjoining church.
According to the Provencal, the convent is ... the most venerable and ancient, under the Rule of Saint Benedict Patriarch, but its origin and foundation goes on to say ... not habbiamo possuto haverne notitia no, even if you later assumed .. .essere was founded when they were the Venerable Fathers of the Order itself in this, that it was before 1300.
The adjoining church with two aisles and beautiful frescoed dome, had a fine high altar of inlaid marble and a seventeenth-century floor with hand-painted tiles; it kept valuable works of art, such as:
- a statue of Santa Domenica, with his relics;
- a statue of San Benedetto del Stefano Li Volsi from Nicosia (1604 - 1673 ca);
- a statue of the Madonna del Soccorso;
- a statue of San Gaetano;
- enhanced mail shovel sull`altare depicting the Caenaculum magnum (the Champion Giacomo from Nicosia - XVII century.);
- a large painting depicting the descent of the Spirit Paraclete upon the Apostles at Pentecost;
- frescoes of Antonio Filingelli from Nicosia.
In reference to the age-old rivalry between Mariani and Nicoleti for the supremacy of their two churches, Santa Domenica probably represented an intermediate border area between the districts of Santa Maria Maggiore and San Nicolò, so much so that in his church during Holy Week, were Oils deposited the Saints brought from Messina, the two clergies separately went in procession to fetch.
The church and monastery collapsed in the earthquake of 1967 and, to this day, the complex is reduced to a ruin to be restored.
