The church of St. John the Baptist was built to replace an older one attached to the convent of the Franciscan Friars Minor, who arrived in Orani in 1610. Its construction, begun around the beginning of the 18th century, was completed at the end of the setsso century. In 1866, after the suppression of the Religious Orders and the forfeiture of their property by the state, the convent became the property of the municipality and was put to a variety of uses: municipal house, elementary school, magistrate’s court and prison. The church of St. John the Baptist, also owned by the municipality, was granted for use by the parish community, and from 1870 to 1940, during the construction of the new parish of St. Andrew, it also served as a parish along with St. Cross and Rosary Church. The church reflects the typical architecture of Franciscan churches: it has a single nave with a high altar and three side chapels on each side, communicating with each other. The exterior of the building features a pronaos, over which the entrances to the church and the commune (former convent) open, and a squat but harmoniously inserted bell tower. Above the pronaos is the chancel, where a recently restored wooden choir and a valuable ancient organ dated 1732 are preserved.
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