Located in the countryside of Monte Vidon Combatte, the “Chiesa San Francesco di Paola” (Church of St. Francis of Paola) is now abandoned, though it once served as an important rural place of worship. According to a 1869 survey, both the small church and an adjoining dwelling were in a good condition; today, unfortunately, only the structure remains, deprived even of its bell, stolen in recent years.
The church is dedicated to St. Francis of Paola, born in Paola (Cosenza, Italy) in 1416, founder of the Order of Minims, and a man of deep faith and humility who dedicated his life to the defending the weak. He died in France in 1507, was canonized in 1519 and in 1943 proclaimed protector of seafarers by Pope Pius XII, in memory of his legendary crossing of the Strait of Messina on his cloak spread over the waters.
