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Holy
Mary of Graces
 The rural little church of Holy Madonna of The Graces is located beyond the urban perimeter;
set at the entry of the town (coming from Adrano) and stands on a strongly sloping ground, boxed in with respect to the
provincial road.
Architecturally the church is very simple and compact.
It exists since the XVI° century,
as it appears in the writings of the time that remember the pastoral visit of the Monreale bishop Monsignor Torres in 1574
(the "Liber visitationis").
The building has volumetric simple and unitary
shape; with
no architectural style of its own, but an octagonal
typology, very unique in his kind in
Bronte, gives her an interesting aspect.
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At the entry a rectangular aedicule contains the image
of the Madonna that stands over a big lava round arch portal.
The
inside, also very simple, work by Nicolò
Dinaro (Biancavilla, 1834 -- Bronte, 1908) has a roof
turned to "umbrella" with frescos of 1896
representing the Marriage of the Virgin, the
Annunciation and the birth of Jesus, work of
Nicolò Dinaro (Biancavilla, 1834 - Bronte, 1908).
"Here, within the squares arranged around the Eternal, leap the plentiful but quick ornamentation of
white and gray circles that frame and animate somewhat, the scenes of the
Virgin's life". (Vito
Librando).
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On the left an old photography of
the little church of the Madonna Of The Graces.
The usual rural ruin has a shapeless scrap iron pile near the entry (it
should be the bell tower) and some houses, down the valley, that for
height and constructive technique, disfigure considerably the landscape. Behind the church, instead of the Simeto valley attractive view, there
is a high modern building of doubtful taste. |
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Lately the little church, like many other churches of
Bronte, is in a state of nearly abandon; is visited by believers only few
times a year on the recurrence of the Madonna of the Graces and other
Saints. |
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