Like many other places in the Belice valley in western Sicily, Partanna suffered badly in the 1968 earthquake. The main church in the town is the Chiesa Madre, the building of which began in 1579, although it was not consecrated until 1676. It is a columned basilica with very rich
stucco decoration by Vincenzo Messina (1692-1729). This includes the sculptured group in the main apse depicting The Transfiguration of Christ, obviously inspired by that in the episcopal church in Mazara, and the decoration in the sacramental chapel in the right side aisle of the Sacred Heart between the Apostles surmounted by the Prophets and God the Father. The font bears the signature of Francesco Laurana and comes from the chapel in the castle; the latter was originally Norman, altered in the 14th, 15th and 17th centuries, and is now privately-owned.