Sanctuary of the Hermitage of San Nicolò Politi in Alcara Li Fusi

Il Sanctuary and Hermitage of San Nicolò Politi is a religious complex located at Alcara Li Fusi, at 398 meters above sea level in the Metropolitan City of Messina.

The history of the Sanctuary is very old: at the beginning of the XNUMXth century, the site already existed and was called Church of San Nicolao de lo Cito, even if its origins seem to date back to an even more remote era, sinking its roots in the XII century.

The current Shrine of San Nicolò PolitiHowever, it began to appear as we can see it today, only in 1846 and as evidence of that date, there is an inscription on the portal of the Sanctuary.
The Church is undoubtedly the oldest structure on site, followed by the portico, built in the sixteenth century, while some of the beautiful frescoes that adorn the structure were created in the nineteenth century.

In the cave below the church, he lived for about three decades San Nicolo Politi, to whom the Sanctuary was dedicated; here sacred furnishings, fences and works of art from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries triumph.

The Sanctuary and Hermitage of San Nicolò Politi can be visited today by the faithful and by tourists curious to know its history and so, here is revealed one last interesting detail related to the Sanctuary: here, until 1938, lived the members of the Tertiary Order of the Hermits of St. Nicholas.

The architecture of the Sanctuary and Hermitage of San Nicolò Politi and what it holds

Peaceful and lonely, on the slopes of Mount Calanna surrounded by greenery, the Sanctuary and Hermitage of San Nicolò Politi is located 2,5 km from the village of Alcara Li Fusi, along the course of the Rosmarino river.

The complex is divided into different environments, from the Grotto to the Church, from the Portico to the Hermitage, all enclosed in a harmonious two-storey structure.

In the portico we find an altar with a fresco of San Nicolò, while laterally there is the door that gives access to the Church, right above the Cave of the Saint; the cave and the church are separated by a gate built in the eighteenth century, while a seventeenth-century wooden statue representing the saint is still kept in the cave today. Between paintings and engravings, there are many works of art to be admired in the Sanctuary.

What to do at the Sanctuary and Hermitage of San Nicolò Politi and in the surrounding area

With devotion and recollection, curiosity and some historical information, visitors approach the Sanctuary and Hermitage of San Nicolò Politi, discovering in the visit, a place full of atmosphere, which gives serenity to those who arrive there. After the visit to the Hermitage, you will also be ready to explore Alcara Li Fusi, the town of 1.700 inhabitants, located less than 3 km from the Hermitage.

Legend links the birth of Alcara to the landing of Aeneas, but the history of the country begins with greater certainty around the end of the XNUMXth century and the traces of this history can be found in the various churches of the village, starting Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, From Church of the Rosary and from Abbey Convent; in addition to the other religious buildings in the town, here you will also find examples of civil architecture, such as the Abbot Fountain and Wash house, the stone bridge that allows you to cross the Rosemary river and the Castle of Turio, of which the ruins remain visible.

Surrounded by the natural areas of the Maulazzo lake, between Caves of the Laurel and Rocks of the Castro, the village that rises alongside the Rosemary welcomes you with all its natural and historical beauties. Also, don't forget to discover the most typical flavors of the area, from preserves to cured meats, from focaccia to murata meat.

From the Sanctuary and Hermitage of San Nicolò a Politi it is also possible to easily reach the north-eastern coast of Sicily: Sant'Agata di Militello is only 20 km from the town.

How to get to the Sanctuary and Hermitage of San Nicolò Politi

The Sanctuary and Hermitage of San Nicolò Politi, in the Metropolitan City of Messina, can be reached from Alcara Li Fusi, where visitors can arrive by car or train.

Who travels by car, will find the exit for S. Agata Militello, from the A20 Messina-Buonfornello, about 7 km from the town; who comes on the train, getting off at S. Agata Station, you can continue with bus or shuttle to downtown.