L'impianto urbanistico di Palazzo Adriano è a schema radiocentrico con punto di confluenza la piazza Umberto I° (scelta quale set dal regista G. Tornatore per il film “Nuovo Cinema Paradiso”, premio Oscar 1990).
In essa dominano le due chiese parrocchiali: quella dedicata a Maria SS. Assunta di rito bizantino, il cui interno conserva la pregevole vara lignea del Crocifisso dello scultore Benedetto Marabitti e numerose tele di scuola palermitana dell'800 (Patania, Di Giovanni, Carta) e quella dedicata a S. Maria del Lume di rito latino, costruita sull'antica chiesa di San Sebastino su progetto dell'architetto Ferrigno; gli altari sono adorni di preziose pitture di grande valore artistico della scuola di Pietro Novelli.
La piazza costituisce il cuore del paese. In essa si trovano il municipio (palazzo ex Dara costruito intorno al 1850) e le chiese principali.
Da essa si dipartono alcuni vicoli ed archi molto suggestivi. Al suo centro è posta una fontana di forma ottagonale del 1608.
Nella parte alta invece si trova la chiesa della Madonna del Carmelo con l'interno ad unica navata e l'esterno adornato da un maestoso portale con colonne dai capitelli corinzi.
Il nucleo più antico è sul colle S. Nicola dove si trovano i ruderi dell'antico Castello del secolo XIV edificato secondo la tipologia dei palazzi-torre.
Nei primi decenni del XIX secolo il castello fu adibito a residenza reale durante i rapporti che Ferdinando IV intrattenne coi palazzesi.
Gli ultimi ad utilizzare la struttura furono i Borboni. Per l'importanza storica dei fatti svoltisi nei riguardi dei baroni che abitarono quel castello nel corso dei secoli, i suoi ruderi sono stati dichiarati monumento nazionale.
Un altro quartiere del paese di notevole importanza è tutt'ora detto “cartiera”. In questa veniva preparata carta filigranata per atti ufficiali dei Borboni e per la stampa della cartamoneta.
Italiano - Inglese - Albanese
The tourist who arrives in Palazzo Adriano finds himself in the large square of Piazza Umberto I which is unique as far as artistic-urbanistic structure and dimensions are concerned. The film director Giuseppe Tornatore was so attracted by its charm that he decided to use it as the natural setting of his oscar -winning film “Nuovo Cinema Paradiso” (1991). This film was almost entirely shot in this village. There is a wonderful octagonal fountain in the square dating back to the year 1608. The typical democratic structure of the village is engraved on its tablets. Piazza Umberto I is the heart of the village. Here people go for a walk, meet, take part in the religious, cultural and folkloristic festivals which take place throughout the year. On the right side of the square, there is the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, on the left the Church of Santa Maria del Lume and opposite this church the Town Hall. The Greek-Byzantine Church of Santa Maria Assunta was built in 1532. It was enlarged in 1770 thanks to the contribution of the faithful, acquiring the present-day structure. It can be considered the largest and most decorated of all the Byzantine rite churches built in the 18th century in Sicily and Calabria. This church is the Pantheon of the Albanian community of Palazzo Adriano. Inside are the tombs of some of its famous people and the first existing tables written in Albanian language of great historical and cultural importance. The church is also a theological monument which remind the Albanian Palazzese of the fundamental principles of the oriental theology. The inner structure is made up of three naves decorated with artistic golden stuccoes. In the church there are also ten paintings produced between 1835 and 1869 by remarkable exponents of the artistic Schools of the time as Patania, Di Giovanni and Carta Bagnasco. The main front is made up of worked stone with columns and niches. It has an elegant panel over the door and the staircase is in stone. On its sides, the steps are in ashlars of tufa in order to allow king Ferdinand IV Bourbon (19th century) to arrive on horseback at the entrance of the church whenever he used to came to Palazzo Adriano. On the side-facade there are two sundials built in 1793. In the bell-tower there is a magnificent bell, the third largest bell in Sicily. The church also keeps the precious processional “VARA” containing the Holy Crucifix brought to Palazzo Adriano by the Albanian refugees before 1482. The “VARA” is made of fine wood decorated and covered with gold-leaves. It was sculptured by the famous sculptor B. Marabitti in 1639. The Latin-rite Church of Santa Maria del Lume was built by the baron Schirò between 1740 and 1746 over the ancient Church of St. Sebastiano. Citizens also contributed to its building. Its wonderful and main front is adorned by three niches containing the statues of St. Peter, St. Paul and St. Michael the Archangel. The bell-tower contains a big mechanical clock built by Scibetta in 1900.The interior of the church is divided into three naves. It has twelve columns in two blocks, the lateral altars are adorned with valuable artistic paintings attributed to Zoppo di Ganci and to the School of Pietro Novelli. The vault is decorated with frescos representing the twelve Apostles, the four Evangelists and the Prophets while Valenti's Blessing Christ reigns in the Apse. The lateral facades are all in raw stone. The Town Hall (ex Dara), built around 1850, shows all the features of an eighteenth-century palace: an arch entrance; a covered path from where one can approach the great staircase; an inner courtyard with a fountain. It was purchased by the Town Council in 1948 thanks to the mayor Girolamo Sirretta. Today on the first floor there is the Town Hall, on the ground-floor the Pro-Loco. The Church of Santa Maria del Carmelo stands in the high part of the square, in via XX Settembre. The interior has just one nave while the outside shows a stately portal with Corinthian capital columns. The Church of Saint John the Baptist in via E. Amari is of modest dimensions. There we can find an icon representing St. Giovanni Battista painted by I.Bacile in1965. The ruins of a 14th century Castle lie on St. Nicola's Hill, leaning against a donjon dating back to Frederick's age (about 1230). The oldest part of Palazzo Adriano developed around the castle at the end the 15th century. Since the beginning, it fought very hard to defend its autonomies against some of the Barons who lived there (Opezinghi and Notarbatolo). During the first two decades of the 19th century, the castle was turned into a royal residence where Ferdinando IV kept social relations with the inhabitants of Palazzo Adriano when going hunting in that area. We can realize its role thanks to the articulate inner layout: two courtyards, stables, storehouses, jails, halls and a chapel. The Bourbons were the last to use the castle. Owing to the historical events which occurred around the castle in the 16th century (battle against the barons) and the 19th century (the king's presence and the organization of the “Campieri”), its ruins have been declared national monument. Next to the castle stands the artistic Church of San Nicola (15th century). Its vault was entirely painted in fresco by Francesco Lo Cascio from Chiusa Sclafani. The inside of the church is adorned with stuccoes of remarkable workmanship and its nave is characterized by barrel vaults and paintings of the triumph of the Lamb dating back to the 18th century. The pronaos leaning against the facade of the church was destroyed by an earthquake in 1968. It keeps the “VARA” containing the Holy Crucifix. The first houses were built around these two constructions which were in a privileged and high position. They were built on a layout of narrow and winding streets which was the typical expression of the town planning military rules.
On a beautiful hill, not far from the inhabited area, there is the sanctuary of the Madonna delle Grazie built around 1560 after the apparition of the Virgin Mary to a six-year-old girl to whom She showed the existence her image. This image was found painted on a stone and today it is the apse of the church.
Not very far from this Sanctuary there is a charming rural church dedicated to San Antonio da Padova where the inhabitants of Palazzo Adriano meet during the first thirteen days of June. During the 15th century it was a lazaretto leaning against a chapel dedicated to San Rocco. Afterwards, the chapel was enlarged and took on the present structure.
A painting of this chapel representing San Rocco, by an unknown painter, is preserved in the church of Santa Maria del Lume.
Italiano - Inglese - Albanese
Struktura urbanistike e Palazzo Adriano-s është e organizuar sipas një skeme radiocentrike, ku si pikë bashkimi shërben sheshi Umberto I (që u zgjodh si skenë kryesore nga regjizori G. Tornatore për filmin “Kinemaja e re Parajsa”, që fitoi çmimin Oskar 1990). Në shesh ngrihen dy kishat famullore: ajo e ritit Bizantin, kushtuar Shën Mërisë, që ruan një skulpturë druri të Krishtit mbi kryq, vepër e skulptorit Benedetto Marabitti, si edhe shumë piktura të shkollës palermitane të shek. XIX, dhe ajo e ritit latin, kushtuar shën Mërisë së Dritës, ndërtuar mbi themelet e kishës së vjetër të shën Sebastianit, sipas projektit të arkitektit Ferrigno; altarët janë zbukuruar me piktura të çmuara me vlerë të madhe artistike të shkollës së Pietro Novelli-t. Sheshi përbën zemrën e fshatit. Në të ndodhet bashkia (ish pallati i familjes Dara, ndërtuar rreth vitit 1850) si edhe kishat kryesore. Prej sheshit zënë fill disa rrugina dhe harqe mjaft sugjestive. Në qendër të saj ndodhet një shatrivan me formë tetëkëndëshe, ndërtuar në vitin 1608. Në pjesën e sipërme ndodhet kisha e Zonjës së Karmelos me një navatë të brendshme dhe me një portal madhështor me kolona me kapitelë korinti në pjesën e jashtme. Bërthama më e vjetër ngrihet mbi kodrën e Shën Nikollës ku ndodhen rrënojat e kështjellës së vjetër të shek. XIV, ndërtuar sipas tipologjisë së kullave. Në dhjetëvjeçarët e parë të shek. XIX kështjella u shndërrua në seli mbretërore gjatë marrëdhënieve që Ferdinandi IV lidhi me banorët e fshatit. Të fundit që e përdorën kështjellën qenë Burbonët. Për rëndësinë e posaçme historike që ka, ky objekt është shpallur monument kombëtar. Një tjetër lagje me rëndësi të veçantë është ajo që quhet “cartiera”. Këtu prodhohej kartë me filigranë për dokumentet zyrtare të Burbonëve si edhe për shtypjen e kartmonedhave. Sot ruhen ende rrënojat e kësaj veprimtarie si edhe disa pajisje të mëdha prej guri të gdhendur që kanë mbetur në qiell të hapur.