Sanctuary of the Madonna del Balzo in Bisacquino

Welcome to Bisacquino: before telling you the story of Sanctuary of the Madonna del Balzo, we have to describe the geography of the place a little, because in the legend of this ancient Sanctuary, there is talk of a real leap!

Bisacquino is located in Metropolitan City of Palermo, while the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Balzo stands at the foot of the Mount Trionain the upper part of the country. This explains the origin of the leap, but let's proceed in order…

As tradition has it, on Monte Triona aimage of the Madonna, which was brought to the village near the Mother Church, to then disappear and be found again on the Mount. The image, brought back to the village, was placed along the Via Sacra, to then disappear again and be found on the Mount; a further disappearance of the sacred image from the town, followed by its discovery at the Mount, made it clear to everyone that Mount Triona at the Balzo had been chosen for the construction of a Sanctuary. This happened in 1664, while the works for the construction of the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Balzo began shortly after, in 1679.

The architecture of the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Balzo and what to admire inside

The Sanctuary is a stone building, which stands out among the vegetation along the mountainside. Large in size and with thick walls, the Church is not the only building in the Sanctuary, in fact there are also thehermitage , sacristy, in addition of course tohigh bell tower, which stands out on the massive bodies of the underlying stone buildings, with the lodgings.

Inside we find a courtyard, in which there is a well and from this courtyard it is possible to enjoy a wonderful view of the valley below. Of considerable interest and food for thought, is the Way of the cross outside the Sanctuary, with the 12 stations marked by as many crosses.

In the lower rooms, in the past there were stables, while the monks' houses were located on the upper floors.

What to do at the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Balzo and in the surrounding area

You can go on pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Balzo, to pray and retreat to a private moment of recollection, but those who are passionate about art and architecture can also reach the leap of Monte Triona, to admire its beauty, as well as enjoy the wonderful view of the Belice valley.

Returning to the village, why not let yourself be enchanted by the historic centre? Bisacquino is a center of about 4 inhabitants, where tourists can find many surprising attractions. Starting from Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist of 1716, discover all the churches in the country, from Church of San Francesco di Paola to the Church of San Vito, From Calvary Church to that of Sant'Antonio Abate.

Walking through the village, you will notice statues such as that of Justice, in the Monument to Justice by Mario Rutelli and the two museums of the town, the civic Museum and Clock Museum. In particular, the Clock Museum tells the original story of the Scibetta family, for generations an expert in making tower clocks.

After visiting the town, and having tasted the local delicacies such as beccafico sardines and murata meat, you will be ready to head towards the nearby villages, such as Corleone e Sambuca di Sicilia, where you can admire the Soprano Castle, the Sottano Castle and the Cascata delle due Rocche, the Casale di Zabut and all the beauties of the area.

From Bisacquino, you can get to Palermo with a journey of about 80 km: along the way, stop at the Ficuzza Wood, also visiting the village before leaving again. In the Sicilian capital, however, you will find an immense open-air museum, to admire some of the greatest wonders of our artistic heritage, from the Palazzo dei Normanni to the Catacombs of the Cappuccini.

How it is possible to get to the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Balzo

The Sanctuary of the Madonna del Balzo is about 1,9 km from Bisacquino.

To get to the village, visitors can choose to travel by car or by train: by car, take the SS 121 up to Corleone, then continuing on the SS 188; with the train, get off at Castelvetrano station, about 40 km from the town and continue the journey by bus or shuttle.