Capizzi – Discover Sacred Art and Architectural History

Capizzi lies at 1,130 meters above sea level in the southern part of the Nebrodi, on a hill at the foot of Monte Averna. Sacred art and historic architecture shape the town’s history; beyond the historic center, views extend across a landscape of coppice woodland and pastureland.

Sacred Architectural History and Art

The Santuario di San Giacomo Apostolo Maggiore was built by the Normans around the 12th century, expanded in the 16th century, and completed in 1780. Its architectural history therefore spans several phases, from the original construction to its later completion. The sanctuary is also home to the Madonna del Soccorso, a white marble sculpture by Antonello Gagini, created in 1517. The artwork dates from the period between the Norman construction phase and the completion of the sanctuary. The building’s history and the artwork can thus be considered as distinct aspects from different periods.

The Chiesa Madre marks another point in time: its Gothic portal dates from 1234, while Pietro Del Campo remodeled the church in the 19th century. The portal and the later remodeling represent different phases in the building’s history. Medieval features are also still apparent in the historic center: parts of the townscape retain paving and walls made from local stone.

The Chiesa Sant'Antonio di Padova was rebuilt and decorated by the Russo family in 1751. It has a single-aisled nave; the church also retains its original floor plan from 1629, built in local sandstone. A single-aisled nave is a church space with one main nave. The surviving floor plan and the work carried out in 1751 thus offer different points of reference for the building’s history.

Since September 1, 2011, a relic ex cute from the skull of Saint Anthony has also been kept on public display in the Chiesa Sant'Antonio di Padova. It is located in a niche beneath the statue of the saint. The relic was removed during the canonical examination of 1981. The dates distinguish the removal from its later public display.

Museum and Palazzo

The Museo di Arte Sacra Diocesano is located in the hypogeum of the Chiesa Madre San Nicolò, in the former rooms of the Confraternita del Santissimo Sacramento. A hypogeum is an underground area; the museum is therefore inside the church building and in rooms formerly used by the confraternity. Access is by prior arrangement with the parish. Check the arrangements before your visit.

The Palazzo Russo Larcan is a 17th-century palace. On the piano nobile, the main floor of a historic palace, visitors can admire decorations and secco paintings, revealed by recent restoration work, which attest to the building’s former splendor. Secco paintings are murals painted on dry plaster. The palazzo complements the sacred buildings with its own example of historic palace architecture.

Landscape and Route

Much of the territory around Capizzi consists of coppice woodland and pastureland. These landscape features complement the stone-built townscape with views across the wider area. A section of the Cammino dei Briganti starts in Capizzi and leads to the former field guards’ barracks in Sambuchello, belonging to the Azienda Speciale Silvo Pastorale di Troina. This section therefore has a specific starting point and a named destination.

A Local Festival Tradition

Mastazzolo is the traditional sweet of the Feast of San Giacomo in Capizzi. Alongside its churches, artworks, and architecture, this culinary tradition gives visitors another point of interest.

Discover more destinations: Alicudi Porto, Roccalumera, Reitano, Rometta, Gallodoro, Quattropani, Contrada Lacco, San Piero Patti

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