Church of Santa Maria di Altofonte

La Church of Santa Maria di Altofonte it is one of the oldest parishes in the town province of Palermo. It is a simple structure on the outside but at the same time rich on the inside, with numerous works of art. Those who go to the village cannot fail to visit it to find out a lot about the history of the town.

Here, then, is all the information that may be useful for organizing a tour of the Church of Santa Maria di Altofonte.

History of the church of Santa Maria di Altofonte

The Church of Santa Maria di Altofonte was built at the behest of Scipione Borghese, cardinal abbot and nephew of Paul V. It was 1633 and the architects decided to exploit the nucleus of what was a previous building, namely theabbey of Santa Maria di Altofonte built on the orders of Federico d'Aragona in 1307.

The abbey was entrusted to the care of the Cistercians and was built because the king used to come to Altofonte when he considered the village his personal hunting reserve, as Roger II had previously done, who also had a residential palace built here . Precisely on the remains of this holiday palace Federico had the abbey built which he then decided to name after Santa Maria as it was his intention to thank her for the protection she had received from the Madonna in the fierce battle of Caltabellotta.

The architecture and any works of art present in the church of Santa Maria di Altofonte

Precisely because it was born from the remains of a residential building, the church of Santa Maria di Altofonte has a very particular structure. The evidence of what was once the destination of the structure can be seen from some details, such as the chapel of San Michele Arcangelo, previous to the rest of the structure and probably a place of worship of Roger's palace: the chapel is completely in Byzantine style.

The Church, on the other hand, has a hall plan, with a barrel ceiling that detaches from the side walls thanks to the stucco frame that is present along the entire perimeter. The presbytery is located in a raised position and is characterized by an all-round arch. Inside, and in particular as regards the main altar, the dominant style is that barocco with stuccos and polychrome marbles to make the environment more precious. Inside there are also many works of art of great value, such as some sacred paintings dating back to the Benedictine period and the statue of Maria Santissima della Mercede.

What you can do around the church of Santa Maria di Altofonte

Those who go to the village to visit the Church of Santa Maria can also take advantage of the opportunity to discover other suggestive corners of Altofonte. For example, few know that the name of the village derives from the presence in its historic center of numerous fountains, all made from the first half of the seventeenth century onwards. Among these are certainly not to be missed Bourgeois, That Bourbon but also the big fountain.

Also very beautiful Church of Sant'Antonio of Padua, which is that mother since it is about the patron saint of the country: built in 1635, it is from the same period and therefore also of the same style as the Palazzo Comunale. Then, just outside the town, nature enthusiasts can follow the nature trails of the Mount Moarda park and Pizzo Valle del Fico from which you can also enjoy a beautiful panorama of the entire valley.

How it is possible to get to Altofonte

Those who want to reach Altofonte can do so starting from Palermo and along the SS624. Those who, on the other hand, move from Trapani will have to prefer the A29 first and then the E933. From Catania and Enna the most suitable road is the A19, from Messina the A20 and the E90, finally from Syracuse first the A19 and then the E932.

Those who, on the other hand, prefer to move with the train, can refer to the nearby stations of Pollaci - Calatafini, Uscibene and Pagano - La Loggia because the village does not have its own station. From these locations you can then reach Altofonte with the local bus lines made available by the public company AST.