The Church of Purgatory, with its beautiful bell tower soaring high above the houses of the Via Giovanni Amendola and Via IV Novembre, was built in the eighteenth century. It should be remembered that probably the same place there was a homonymous church of modest size.

There are reports, in fact, that in 1646, a few years after the founding of the country, at the expense of Peter Grimaldi Fragapane from Grotte, was founded a church under the title of Purgatorio.Questa Souls Church was the subject of numerous donations from rich and part of Gerlando Bontati, notary of the country from 1706 to 1734, very rich and childless man.

Perhaps following the legacy of this notary, the clergy of Palma de Lichtenberg and in particular its deputies, the Archpriest Emanuele Cangiamila Francis and Don Antonino Di Blasi, Giovanni Battista Campomar attorney Don chose the venerable churches, places and pious legacies of the earth Palma.

Latter 'by virtue of its November 19, 1736 Prosecutor agrees with "faber murarius" Master Peter Paul Licata Scicolone to "fabricare begin and end point of the whole country with his mastery off, and dum taxat, the venerable church Purgatory said in this land, and where they will be assigned in the place and designated by said determining itself Campomar dalli Members of such venerable churches, according to the plan made by the priest, Reverend Father Joseph Fama, "architect and inventor," the city of Palermo. "

In the same act of the notary Lorenzo Di Blasi, who kindly was made known by the scholar Don Biagio Alessi of Agrigento, all modes are determined that the parties undertake to observe solemnly. omunque remains the most relevant data that the project of this Church of Palma de Lichtenberg was run by a very famous architect at that time.

From a second document more of the same notary Lorenzo Di Blasi, drawn June 23, 1737, we know that the work was performed by the aforementioned P. P. Scicolone.

The note of charges that are paid very well gets 24 ounces to "Master of Scicolone Angelo Licata for making the new design of the church fabricanda". This shows that there was a new project signed by Angelo Scicolone, a relative of P. P. Scicolone.

The church was opened for worship in Purgatory February 24, 1745. By will dated 12 November 1827 Dr. Dominic Benedetto, Palmese, who died childless, left his possessions to the church of the Purgatory. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were executed several works to adorn church altars, frescoes and paintings still admire you so (see sheet no. 40, fig. 56-57).