In Piazza Gorgone, in the village of San Piero Patti full of hidden treasures, there is a beautiful small church that bears the name of Santa Maria Assunta, patron saint of the village. It is accessed by an imposing stone staircase and houses the statues of St. Peter, the co-patron Saint Blaise, and Maria SS. Assunta, as well as polychrome marble altars, an ancient organ, a crypt with a drip and an eighteenth-century wooden crucifix, which is carried in procession on Good Friday.

Looking up, you are enraptured by an extraordinary wooden ceiling made by local artisans and artists in cypress wood that has a coffered structure arranged in the shape of a truncated pyramid with an octagonal perimeter with a stylized flower. In the center of the ceiling that runs through the central nave and in the side aisles, it is possible to admire, inside a rich wooden frame, a statue of the Madonna Assunta, covered in gold, in the act of being crowned by two angels.

The choice of cypress wood for the ceiling is significant, as this material is known for its resistance to external agents and symbolizes the strength of the Church that nothing can scratch. The ceiling itself can be interpreted symbolically. The chests of drawers represent life’s challenges and trials, while the stylized flower in the center symbolizes hope and rebirth.

It is said that during the construction of the roof, the craftsmen hid a treasure consisting of gold coins, precious jewels and other valuables in one of its chests of drawers. According to legend, anyone who can locate the secret drawer and solve the riddle to open it will be able to enjoy that wealth.

Another peculiarity of this church is its bell tower with clock: almost thirty meters high, it is independent from the rest of the building. It is accessed via a bridge over a round arch, the gateway to the ancient road that once led to the baronial castle. On the evening of December 15 of each year, tradition has it that the bells of this and all the other churches in the town are rung by hand for fifteen minutes to announce the beginning of the Christmas novena.