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Abbey of San Martino delle Scale

Benedictine monasteries in ItalyChurches in the metropolitan city of PalermoMonasteries in Sicily
AbbaziaDiSanMartinoDelleScale2
AbbaziaDiSanMartinoDelleScale2

The Abbey of San Martino delle Scale is a Benedictine monastery and church located in the hills a few kilometers northwest of Monreale, region of Sicily, Italy. Putatively founded in the 7th-century, but destroyed by the Saracens, it was refounded in 1347. Most of the present structures date to the 17th and 18th-centuries, including a large refurbishment by the architect Giuseppe Venanzio Marvuglia. The Abbazia or abbey is located in between Monte Cuccio and Monte Caputo. Putatively founded during the rule of Pope Gregory the Great, a monastery at the site was destroyed by the Saracens. The monastery, dedicated to St Martin of Tours, was reformulated in 1347 with 6 monks from the Monastery of San Nicola near Mount Etna. Among the first monks was the blessed Angelo Sinisio, the first abbott, who helped commission the first monastic buildings. The church was decorated with works by Pietro Novelli, Filippo Paladini, Zoppo di Gangi, Paolo de Matteis, Mattias Stomer and others. The intricately carved wooden choir stalls were completed by the early 18th century. The fontana dell’Oreto and the sculptural depiction of St Martin on horseback were carved by Ignazio Marabitti. Nearly abandoned after the suppression of the orders in 1866, the abbey is still a benedictine monastery.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Abbey of San Martino delle Scale (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Abbey of San Martino delle Scale
SP57,

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Latitude Longitude
N 38.091 ° E 13.2545 °
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Abbazia Benedettina di San Martino delle Scale

SP57
90046
Sicily, Italy
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Nearby Places

Zisa, Palermo
Zisa, Palermo

The Zisa is alternatively listed as either a castle or palace, and located in the western area of Palermo, region of Sicily, Italy. The edifice was begun around 1165 by an Moorish craftsman under the rule of the Norman conqueror of Sicily, king William I of Sicily. It was not finished until 1189, under the rule of William II. It is presently open to the public for tours. The name Zisa derives from the Arab term al-Azīz, meaning "dear" or "splendid". The same word, in Naskh script, is impressed in the entrance, according to the usual habit for the main Islamic edifices of the time. The structure was conceived as a summer residence for the Norman kings, as a part of the large hunting resort known as Genoardo (Arabic: Jannat al-arḍ, literally "Earthly Paradise") that included also the Cuba Sottana, the Cuba Soprana and the Uscibene palace, and extensive gardens, of which no traces remain. Joan of England, Queen of Sicily, widow of William II, was confined to the palace by the new king Tancred of Sicily due to her backing Princess Constance aunt of William II to ascend the throne. At the end of the 15th century the building fell into disrepair while in private hands. In 1635, a new owner, Giovanni de Sandoval, cousin to the Viceroy of Sicily, acquired the palace for free due to its poor state. The palace remained in the hands of the Sandoval family until 1808, when it was eventually fell again to ruin once again. From 1808 to the 1950s the building was used a residence by the princes Notarbartolo di Sciara. In the 1990s, the building was picked up for restoration by the Region of Scallia. In July 2015 it was included in the UNESCO Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalù and Monreale World Heritage Site.