Mother Church of Isnello – San Nicola di Bari

530 meters above sea level, about 1300 inhabitants and a history that begins in the XNUMXth century, with the foundation of the village by Count Ruggero: these are the numbers of Isnello, a small town in the Metropolitan City of Palermo, northern Sicily.

In the centre, there are numerous monuments from ancient history, such as the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore or the Church of the Annunciation, but undoubtedly one of the oldest sacred buildings is the Mother Church of Isnello, consecrated to St. Nicholas of Bari.

The Church today appears as a seventeenth-century building, but its foundation is earlier, in fact the oldest buildings in the village are those of the Angevin-Aragonese period and of the Ventimiglia family, when the center went from a military outpost to a real inhabited center. The Mother Church was probably built at the end of the fifteenth century, in what is now the oldest quarter of the town.

The architecture of the Mother Church of Isnello and what it houses

The Mother Church, completely covered in bricks, has some typical elements of themedieval architecture: in addition to the coating, we can note thepointed arch which dominates an important portion of the building, the one where the main door is located, but also the mullioned windows, opened by the upper order.

La Bell tower which flanks the central body culminates in the belfry, onto which single lancet windows open on the walls, while in the lower order we note, of reduced dimensions, thecountry clock.

Among the predominant materials outside the Mother Church of Isnello we find, in addition to stone, wood.

Inside, the church is divided into three naves, houses several chapels and houses splendid works of art such as the apse by Giuseppe Li Volsi from Nicosia, the choir and the tabernacle by Gagini.

The statue that represents San Nicola in the church, the patron saint of the town, is made of wood and is the work of Giovanni Pietro Ragona.

What to do at the Mother Church of San Nicola di Bari in Isnello and in the surrounding area

Arriving in front of the Mother Church of Isnello, the visitor is immediately captivated by the ancient charm of this sacred building, perfectly preserved and witness to the ancient history of the town: art enthusiasts and the faithful will enter the Church with devotion and admiration, also discovering all the beauties inside the building.

After completing the visit to the Church, visitors staying in Isnello can also devote themselves to discovering the Old Town, which from the Terravecchia district expands towards the borders of the town.

The oldest churches, in addition to the Mother Church, are those of San Michele and Santa Maria Maggiore; at the Piano della Porta you can visit Santa Maria del Rosario. Meanwhile, in locality Piano Zucchi, You will find Parish Church of St. Paul the Apostle.

In 1921 it was built in Isnello il Monument to the Fallen in the First World War, while in 1987 Giambelluca gave birth to the Mother Madonite, a bronze work that can be admired today in the village.

Leaving the center and going up the hill overlooking Isnello, you will also reach the ruins of the ancient one Norman Castle, while the surroundings of the village are dominated by the greenery of the Madonie Park, where the holm oak stands out in particular. Here, completely immersed in nature, at night you can admire an incomparable spectacle, that of the starry sky, which you can look closely, thanks to theObservatory of the Madonie Astronomical Park. Isnello is famous for an ancient textile tradition that has its roots in the Middle Ages and is still alive today. High-level textile decorations are in fact exhibited at Wefts of Thread Museum, located at the Social Center in Via Impellitteri.

Isnello is about 77 km from Palermo and with a journey of about an hour and a half, you can reach other incredible tourist attractions such as the Palatine Chapel, the Zisa or the Church of Santa Caterina, Piazza Pretoria or the Palazzo della Cuba.

In Sicily, even food is art and so we advise you to taste the best traditional dishes: from the arancina to the baked anelletti, from frittedda with fried bread, whetting the appetite with an appetizer of local cold cuts and cheeses.

How is it possible to get to the Mother Church of Isnello

Isnello, in the Metropolitan City of Palermo, can be easily reached by train or by car.

From Cefalù Station, the center is about 10 km away, to be covered by bus or shuttle, for those arriving on the train; who, on the other hand, prefers to travel in the car, you can take the A20 Messina-Buonfornello, exiting at the junction for Cefalù.