Monastery of Badia di Santa Maria Annunziata in Mandanici

One of the most significant monuments of Mandanici is certainly the monastery of Badia di Santa Maria Annunziata, a building that dates back to around 1100 and which has a very complex history. To discover its history and admire more closely the testimonies of successive eras that have left their mark on the structure, it is worth organizing a trip to this corner of Sicily: here, then, is all that can be useful to know to visit The monastery of Santa Maria di Mandanici.

History of the monastery of Santa Maria di Mandanici

The history of Mandanici monastery it begins in 1100, as evidenced by the official foundation diploma. Its construction is due to the will of the Grand Count Roger who managed to expel the Arabs from Mandanici and to celebrate the victory he wanted to build a chapel with an annexed monastery in the village. Then he donated both the religious structure and the entire territory of the village to the Greek monks of San Basilio who took care of it until the 1866th century, given that from time to time a royal bull was issued to confirm the autonomy of the monastery. On that date, however, the monastery of Santa Maria di Mandanici passed under the jurisdiction of the Archimandritate of the SS. Salvatore as he becomes "alieni iuris". This led to a gradual abandonment by the monks who decided to leave it permanently in XNUMX, when the structure became part of the property of the Municipality. Throughout its duration, however, it was extremely important for not only the cultural but also the economic development of the village of Mandanici and those nearby.

The architecture and any works of art present in the Mandanici monastery

The structure of the Mandanici monastery has undergone many transformations over the centuries, so its current appearance is the result of a series of additions and renovations that were made not only in different eras but also obviously by different designers. The quadrangular apse certainly dates back to the original period, which has elements that unequivocally betray the period of construction, i.e. theArab-Norman period. The entrance to the complex is very beautiful, built in a very simple style, in white stone, with a small staircase that leads directly to the large but essential wooden door which is squeezed between two lateral pilasters and also has a broken curved tympanum which instead recalls clearly the Renaissance. The interiors, then, are clearly inspired Baroque, with its single nave and trussed roof which is typical of that era.

What you can do around the monastery of Santa Maria di Mandanici

Those arriving in Mandanici to visit the monastery of Badia di Santa Maria Annunziata will be able to take advantage of the opportunity to discover other interesting areas of the village which is a small concentration of architecture and more. For example, the Cathedral of Santa Domenica which was built around the XNUMXth century, or the Church of Sant'Antonio Abate which instead is a compendium of all the stylistic principles of the Baroque. From the point of view of civil architecture, it is worthy of interest Scuderi Palace, which hosted the noble and homonymous family and which was built in the seventeenth century. Also Mastroeni-Longo Palace, a short distance from the Scuderi one, is from the same period and is particular for the millstone it houses inside. Today the palace is headquarters of the municipal library.

How is it possible to get to Mandanici

Those wishing to travel to Mandanici to visit the monastery of Santa Maria will be able to travel by car from Messina along the A18 first and then the E45. On the other hand, those coming from Palermo will have to refer to the A20 motorway and then continue on the E90. Finally, from Agrigento you must take the A19 motorway and then continue with the E932 or the E45 to your destination. Who, on the other hand, prefers to travel on the train, can stop directly in the Mandanici station, shared with the town of Roccalumera, which is located on the Messina-Syracuse local line. Finally, connections from the main Sicilian cities to Mandanici are always active thanks to the local lines of bus numbers offered by the AST company.