Scicli day trip – Sunday 17 June

by admin · 20/06/2018

We decided to spend a day in Scicli and took the bikes so we could cover more of the area than just walking as there was so much to see. Unlike other towns we saw very few cycles there as most of the residents walked.

Bike maintenance

Scicli was one of the prettiest and most interesting towns we have seen so far and also one of the mosts peaceful. I have put in a few notes here and a few of the photos so that you are not overwhelmed but just get a brief overview or you can go straight to the galley of photos at the end. Much more information can be found on the internet if you are interested and I have listed some links at the end of this post.

As usual we ran out of time and hope to revisit the town again someday.

History

Settlements in the area of Scicli dates back to the Copper and Early Bronze Ages (3rd millennium BCE to the 15th century BCE). The town grew up around two valleys divided by steep ridges, emerging onto a wider vale. Early settlements were up on the ridges – the town’s principal church, San Matteo, sat on a commanding position overlooking the smaller valleys as they opened into a wider vale.

Around the church, on the slopes, were clustered cave-dwellings. Over time, as the defensive functions of the site grew less important, the town shifted down the hillside.

In 864 CE, Scicli was conquered by the Arabs, and under their rule it flourished as an agricultural and trade center. In 1091, it was taken from the Arabs by the Normans. In 1282 Scicli rebelled against the Angevine domination. It was later an Argonese-Spanish possession before being bought into Italy in the mid 19th century. In 1693 there was a catastrophic earthquake and much of the town was then rebuilt in the Sicilian Baroque style.

By the 1950s the final residents of the cave-settlement were rehoused in social housing at the far end of town, and the upper slopes were abandoned, along with San Matteo.

Churches

This is a brief overview of what we had a chance to look at. It may seem like churches, churches and more churches but they are all so different and some of them in side are just beautiful.

Church of San Matteo : Symbol of Scicli and the Roman Catholic church until 1874, it is located on the hill of San Matteo, site of the old city.

Church of San Bartolomeo Apostolo – which absolutely wonderful inside –was founded as early as the 15th century. and resisted, in large part, to the devastating earthquake of 1693. However it was rebuilt starting from the year 1752 with works that lasted until the late nineteenth century. The characteristic three-sided pyramidal façade synthesises various artistic-architectural styles, from the late Baroque to the neoclassical. The prospect, in fact, started at the end of the eighteenth century was re-elaborated and concluded in the third order only in 1815. In 1822 the esplanade and the wrought iron gate were made. Inside, are many artistic treasures from the frescoed ceilings, the baroque decorations to the fine stuccoes to the paintings of important artists.
- the altarpiece depicting the “Martyrdom of San Bartolomeo”, a work by Francesco Pascucci dated 1779.
- fine canvas the stuccos made by Giovanni Gianforma (Serpotta school) of 1780 and depicting God the Father among the angels;
- the canvas of the “Immaculate among the Saints William and Bartholomew”, placed in the right arm of the transept and built in the seventeenth century by Francesco Cassarino.
- the seventeenth-century wooden crib of the Neapolitan school attributed to Pietro Padula and placed in the left transept.
- “The Deposition”, depicting scenes from the Deposition of Jesus and the fainting of the Virgin Mary attributed to Mattia Preti, the last Caravaggio artist and one of the greatest painters of the seventeenth century.

Church of Madonna del Carmine

Chiesa di Michele Arcangelo

Saint Bartholemew

Parish Museum of Santa Maria La Nova del Campanile – founded in 2011 to enhance the rich historical and artistic heritage of the churches of Santa Maria La Nova, Santa Maria della Consolazione and San Giovanni.

Church of Santa Maria La Nova

Consolazione Church

Baroque Buildings and Piazzas

Chiafura

Chiafura is one of the oldest quarters of the city of Scicli, located on the southern side of the hill of San Matteo, has hundreds of caves “black mouths” in the cliffs. It is thought that scattered houses date back to the Neolithic period but it has been discovered that most of them belong to the Byzantine age.

Following the collapse of the Roman Empire, the population of Scicli began to rise towards the fortified fortress, already built on the hill of San Matteo. Most of the houses are located on the the southern, less steep slope. The first group of cave houses were created under the stronghold of the city.

Following the earthquake of 1693 the castle was destroyed. In 1874 the area was transferred to the Church of Sant’Ignazio in the new city and began the abandonment of the hill, even if several thousand people continued to dig their simple dwellings and get inside

The western part,“Castiddazzu” , is characterized by terraces along its full height. Most caves consist of one or two quadrangular rooms, about 4 or 5 meters on each side; some of them are carved into walls that face directly onto the street; others are connected to the street through a courtyard in front. Part of these homes are located on two floors, connected through internal stairs, also carved into the rock.

Over the last two centuries there has been an enlargement of homes through the integration of caves and buildings. The widest areas, in the various terracing, were used for community spaces.

As can be seen form the photos these old caves are still visible and in use in several buildings, shops, garages and workshops.