Hermitage of San Felice in Trabia

Among the most fascinating structures present in the area of ​​Trabia in the province of Palermo is theHermitage of San Felice, located in the vicinity of the splendid Pizzo Cane Oriented Nature Reserve.

The hermitage of San Felice in Trabia

The territory of the Municipality of Trabia has a lot to offer its visitors not only for the architectural and cultural beauties but also for the extraordinary landscapes. In the middle of Pizzo Cane Oriented Nature Reserve it is possible to appreciate several historical structures that have spanned the centuries including theHermitage of San Felice. The story dates back to the end of the thirteenth century when the hermit known by the name of Friar Guglielmo Gnoffi, he decided with his small brotherhood to build this structure in the middle of nowhere.
Friar Guglielmo Gnoffi who moreover became a Blessed, also made the decision to dedicate the small church to the cult of the Madonna to whom he was very devoted and commissioned an artist of the time to create a painting depicting the Virgin still visible today on the right side of the small altar.
Unfortunately, the geographical position and the neglect to which it has been subjected over the centuries has led to a real degradation, so much so that until 1989 the structure had no roof or any other element of protection from bad weather. . It is no coincidence that the evidently deconsecrated church was used by local shepherds as a real stable for cows and sheep.

The many uses of the Hermitage of San Felice

Initially theHermitage of San Felice it was a church in which friar Guglielmo Gnoffi with his brothers carried on the cult of the Madonna but over the centuries it has been used for other purposes, so much so that in addition to being a sort of stable, it was used as a support for the activity of tuna fishing which was right in Trabia. In fact, one of the white-painted windows of the building was strategically used to lower fishing nets. Today this structure allows you to manage and organize different hiking activities and reach wonderful destinations like the Skittle cave which is a real earthly paradise for speleology enthusiasts and for appreciating the numerous water springs found in an uncontaminated area.

What else to see in Trabia

On the territory of Trabia in the province of Palermo there are other facilities worth visiting starting from Church of the Blessed Sacrament famous because every year the procession of the Corpus Christi an event that is developed and organized in 8 days. It is also very beautiful Church of Sant'Oliva which has an ancient local cemetery located right next to theArch and the city walls.
Among the other structures that are worth including in a tourist trip to discover the province of Palermo, there is Rock of Santa Rosalia, a particular monument that includes a votive chapel made exclusively with sea pebbles and stalactites from coastal caves. The beauty of these areas has also become famous because the director Giuseppe Tornatore he decided to choose some locations to shoot some scenes of the film Nuovo Cinema Paradiso which also allowed him to obtain the Oscar Prize.

How to reach the municipality of Trabia

To arrive with their own auto to the municipality of Trabia starting from the city of Palermo, it is necessary to cover a journey of about 35 km crossing the E90 for a journey of only 40 minutes. You can choose too the train regional with destination Termini Imerese which allows you to reach your destination in 38 minutes. Trabia can also be reached from the eastern side of the Sicilian island, starting, for example, from Messina by first taking the A20 motorway and then the E90. In this case the journey is 200 km and takes 150 minutes.

Alternatively there is alla Messina Central station the opportunity to take the train of the state Railways with arrival in Palermo Centrale in 2 hours and 40 minutes. From Catania it is necessary to travel by car for 2 hours to cover 180 km to be carried out mainly on the A19.

Instead, for those who want to use i public transport it is necessary to reach the Central station and take the fast regional train (RV) of the FS which in 2 and 44 minutes allows you to reach Palermo Centrale. From here, then, always take the regional train to Termini Imerese.