The Churches - Erice Style

July 11, 2017

It was a beautiful day in Erice and I was taken in by the beauty of each church we visited.  Each had their own style.

San Giovanni

San Giovanni Battista's Church was erected in the first half of the 15th century and later enlarged in 1631.

There is only one nave in the form of a Latin Cross. In the apse - vault - is a statue to St John the Baptist from1539 and attributed to Antonino Gagini.  John points to a Lamb - Jesus - on a closed book, showing only He can open the way for the world.

There are several Medieval frescos from St Mary Magdalene's church also on exhibit.

The church also houses some of the most important marble sculptures present in Erice.

The flooring

Light coming in the window with tree branches framing it

Sant'Antonio Abate's Church

The only thing left from the original exterior is the little domed bell tower from the end of the 12th centurty.

In 1541, a second nave was added to the church.  The naves are separated by Tuscan columns.

Recently added sculpted marble elements that were part of the ancient decor of the church.

The patron saint, Sant' Antonio Abate, carved wood work by Pietro Orland in 1690.

  My favorite piece, the simple altar with candlesticks and the scriptures.

The Real Duomo ~ Royal Cathedral

 Tradition states the church was first built in the 4th century but the current building is from 1314 and was reconstructed in the 1850s.

 

 King Federick's Tower from the 13th century with its 108 steps to the bell tower.

The center nave, these church has 3 naves.

Mary with baby Jesus framed by John the Baptist, Paul and Julian. Above are panels showing the Passion and Resurrection of Christ from 1513.

The stuccoed lace vaulted ceiling from the 1860s. 

The stuccoed columns

Engraved floor

Marble holy water font from the 15th century.

There are many more churches in Erice to see. We centered on these three.

Out and about in Erice

Out and About Erice

July 10, 2017

Sorry this will be picture and post overload but we went to a pretty awesome place today.  Erice ~ the Mountain of God.  There was so much to see and do. We wandered for 3 hours on the Erice pass, which turned out to be a pretty awesome price for all we wanted to see.  The other fun thing is we went with Anziano Bardsley and Anziano Anderson. They were pretty good traveling companions.

Rooftop view of the City of Erice

Streets running up and down

Erice is located on the mountain next to Trapani.  And it has the most beautiful countryside and ocean views.

Looking east to the country side

Looking North to the sea

Our first stop was the Castle of Venus.  It was an open roof sanctuary where the Greek goddess Aphrodite and the Roman goddess Venus were celebrated. Built in the 12th century, today there are only ruins left.

Castle of Venus

Mostly ruins with Anziano Bardsley and Anziano Anderson

The myth is Dedalous built this wall for the protection of the city, 4th and 3rd century BC

Wildflowers among the ruins

View back to The Castle of Venus from Tower Pepoli

From there we went to the Tower Pepoli built around 1870. Originally it was used for spiritual contemplations.  Restoration was completed in 2014.

The trail to Tower Pepoli

Overlook of Tower Pepoli

Mosaic Floor

The torrent

Our trail took us around the outskirts of Erice on to the Spanish Quarters. The fort was built during the 17th century Spanish rule of Sicily.  Work was stopped in 1632.  Today it houses a museum to past arts and crafts of Erice and history of the sea.

A tuna boat

Horse cart

Past the Porta Spada ~ Gate of the Sword and along the Cyclopic Walls from the 8th century BC.  The walls were used to protect Erice.

Porta Spada

Stairs along the Cyclopic Walls

Walking along the Cyclopic Walls

After this we had a whimsical visit to the Presepe Monumental. The carefully crafted scenes of past Erice.

The bells

A little Romeo and Juliet going on

Puppet show

The Muncipal Museum that was founded in 1876, to contain art pieces from religious corporations. There are also archaeological finds from private collections.

The annunciation, 1525 Antonello Gagini

1 of 5 paintings from Monastery of Saint Teresa, 18th Century

5th Century, head of Aphrodite

A quick stop in the Monastery SS Salvatore. The construction is from the 13th century.

The ovens

And of course some wandering in the town past shops set up for tourists.

Up next the churches of Erice