Chiesa di San Nicolò

The Church of San Nicolò stands on a rocky spur above Savoca. Founded in the thirteenth century and later also known as the Church of Santa Lucia, it is distinguished by its dramatic setting and by scenes filmed in its churchyard for The Godfather.

Why it matters

The church’s position on the rock outcrop above Savoca gives it a strong presence in the town’s landscape. It is also one of the locations associated with Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather: municipal and regional sources identify the churchyard as a filming site.

What to notice

The municipal record describes the church as having three naves and a bell tower, with an eighteenth-century appearance shaped by later restorations. Its interior includes a fifteenth-century marble half-bust of Santa Lucia, a 1623 painting of the Madonna del Parto and a fourteenth-century panel of San Michele Arcangelo. Ossuary crypts beneath the square contain remains dating from the fourteenth to nineteenth centuries.

Context and history

The church was founded in the thirteenth century and originally dedicated to San Nicola di Bari. In 1881, relics and artworks were transferred here from the ruined church of Santa Lucia, including a silver statue dated 1666; since then it has also borne the name Santa Lucia. Savoca’s tradition of devotion to the saint is reflected in the annual feast held on the second Sunday of August. The church was once part of the territory associated with the Archimandrite of Messina.