The Church of San Domenico in Castelvetrano

San Domenico Parish in Castelvetrano

Known by all the locals as the Sistine Chapel of Sicily, the Parish of San Domenico in Castelvetrano and its church are among the monuments that most characterize Castelvetrano. It is a very beautiful structure in its external part, in the most typical style of the Sicilian Mannerism which will then result in the Barocco. But its interior is also really rich, with works and frescoes by important authors of the time.
A trip to Castelvetrano cannot do without a visit to this magnificent building: here is all you need to know to better organize a tour of the San Domenico Parish.

History of the Parish of San Domenico in Castelvetrano

The church of San Domenico in Castelvetrano was built in 1470 in its first original nucleus. In 1487 Pope Innocent VIII concedes to Nino III Tagliavia the possibility of building a Dominican convent in the immediate vicinity and of transforming the current church into the family chapel, within which to bury the deceased members of the family. On 22 July 1489 the convent obtained its formal recognition and was aggregated to the convent of Santa Cita of Palermo, only in 1550 the convent returned to being the jurisdiction of the Dominican province.

Initially the church is treated as a private chapel in which all family ceremonies as well as daily masses are celebrated. Then, starting from 1491 with the death of Giovanni Antonio Tagliavia, is also used as a family tomb. Nino III Tagliavia, the promoter of the construction of the church and the convent complex, will also find a place here. Beatrice of Aragon, John of Aragon Tagliavia and many others. A very important figure, whose remains have a place of honor in the chapel, is Carlo d'Aragona Tagliavia, who was also the patron of the arts who contributed his funds to make the church even more beautiful thanks to the frescoes in the several chapels and the presbytery.

The architecture and any works of art present in the Church of San Domenico in Castelvetrano

The current configuration of the Church of San Domenico in Castelvetrano provides for the presence of three naves, the rear presbytery is characterized by the presence of the composition of the Tree of Jesse and a beautiful Gothic arch that hides the Choir Chapel. In the right aisle there are five bays each characterized by a different element, such as the first in which there is a beautiful wooden crucifix or the fifth, known by the name of Chapel of San Domenico due to the presence of a large painting that depicts the saint himself.

The left aisle is also divided into five bays and here too we find different elements such as the Chapel of Our Lady of Loreto, which is the first and houses a marble statue of the Immaculate Conception.
The central nave, on the other hand, has a cross vault embellished with beautiful windows that are decorated with decorative stucco. The Gothic arch, however, is richly decorated as the pillars and columns are carved and represent some episodes narrated in the Holy Scriptures such as the delivery of the keys of Paradise to St. Peter or the episode of the conversion of St. Paul.

What you can see inside the Parish of San Domenico in Castelvetrano

Organizing a visit to the San Domenico Parish in Castelvetrano means having the opportunity to admire some unique works that over the centuries the members of the Tagliavia family wanted to have created to make it even more beautiful. Among these certainly one worthy of note is the so-called Tree of Jesse which is a stucco work that depicts the family tree that leads from Jesse to Guseppe, husband of Mary as well as putative father of Jesus.

Even the Cappella del Coro, built between 1574 and 1577, is really impressive, thanks to the domed vault which is completely frescoed and has stuccos dating back to the XNUMXth century. The frescoes, on the other hand, show episodes of sacred history. At the center of the Chapel of the Choir is the sepulcher made entirely of marble which houses the bodies of Carlo d'Aragona Tagliavia and his wife Beatrice.
Finally, inside the Church of San Domenico in Castelvetrano, there are also some crypts, among which that of the Rosary stands out, which houses niches and niches inside which there are ossuaries belonging to noble and religious figures.

How is it possible to get to Castelvetrano

Getting to Castelvetrano is really very simple and you have different means at your disposal. First of all, for those who want to use their own car or a rental one and come from Catania, it will be sufficient to take the A19 with its own exit at Castelvetrano. For those coming from Palermo, however, the reference motorway is the A29 while the exit is the same. For those who prefer the train, they can use the Castelvetrano station as a reference point, well connected to both Catania and Palermo. Finally, the locality can also be reached via a bus service which is provided by the Compagnia Prestìa and Comandé companies and which depart from Catania, Trapani and Palermo.

© David Mauro, CC BY-SA 4.0 - David Mauro, CC BY-SA 4.0 - David Mauro, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons