Church of Sant'Antonio Abate

A simple and at the same time elegant chapel, with a severity of forms that are modeled on Gothic originals for the proportions of the plan, doors and windows. Born as a private chapel inside the Steri, it is closely linked to the events of the Chiaromonte, the powerful family of Sicilian feudal lords who in the mid-fourteenth century imposed their dominion over a large part of the island.

History

Virtual tour

The history of the church of Sant'Antonio Abate, inside the Steri, is closely tied to the events of the Chiaromonte family, the powerful family of Sicilian feudal lords who imposed their dominion over a large part of the island in the mid-fourteenth century. It was Manfred I who wanted the construction of the small church, right next to the Steri, dedicating it to Sant’Antonio Abate, to whom the Crusaders returning from the holy places were devoted. But the reason for the foundation was probably an ex voto. A simple yet elegant chapel, with a severity of form that is modelled on Gothic originals in terms of the proportions of the plan, doors and windows.

The lords of the Steri and the few dignitaries admitted attended the services here, accessing from a corridor that no longer exists. Everything took place in an extremely private atmosphere. The building has undergone renovations over the centuries and has been stripped of its original decorative apparatus. In the fresco in the apse, God the Father Almighty is depicted, unfortunately without a face. On the sides of the image of God are two ranks of angels. Of particular interest, during the restoration, was the discovery of a face of Christ of particular artistic value, as it resembles the one painted on a beam of the ceiling of the great hall of the Steri.

The small church, now deconsecrated, is perfectly intact in its structure and is a small jewel of Gothic art for its severity of lines and admirable architectural purity.

Gallery