PETRALIA
SOTTANA
Petralia
Sottana stands at about 1,000 a.s.l. in the Madonie region, province
of Palermo. The town, lying in the vicinity of the Imera River,
is surrounded by beautiful woods and forests.
In
times past it was closely linked with the neighboring Petralia Soprana.
It started life as an hamlet in the 14th century, expanding around
the to-day’s town castle. It was ruled by illustrious families
such as the Ventimiglias, the Cardonas, the Aragonas, the Moncadas
and the Alvares de Toledo.
The
visit of the town can begin in the Chiesa Madre dedicated to the
Assumption. Although dating from the 17th century, this shows clear
marks of an earlier structure, whose evidence is provided by a late-Gothic
portal incorporated into the right flank of the present fabric.
The church interior is designed as a Latin-cross divided into nave
and aisles, and contains various works of art. Worth-seeing are
the 1600’s marble statue of the Madonna and Child, the 1600’s
canvas depicting Christ at the sepulchre and the 1600’s marble
sculpture of the Madonna of the Holy Rosary with St. Dominic and
Saint Catherine.
The
Chiesa di Santa Maria della Fontana or della Vittoria, the Baroque
Chiesa di San Francesco, with a precious paintings of the Stimmate
di San Francesco and a 1700’s wooden tabernacle, the Chiesa
della Misericordia and the Chiesa della Santissima Trinità
are also worth-seeing.
Off
town, beyond the southern stretch of the Imera River, stands the
Santuario della Madonna dell’Alto.
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