Chiesa Matrice (Royal Duomo of Erice)
Erice’s 14th-century Duomo was constructed with stones from the ancient Temple of Venus, and the campanile (bell tower) that rises 28m (92 ft.) next to the church also has an ancient past, built in the late 15th century atop a watchtower from the 2nd century b.c. Frederick of Aragon, who eventually lost Sicily to the Spanish, built the campanile so his sentries could watch for invading troops in the sea lanes far below. The church’s porch, dubbed the “Gibbena” (from the Latin agi bene, meaning “act well”), is a later addition, built to accommodate penitents who weren’t allowed to partake in the Mass. They missed out on worshipping under a vaulted, arabesque ceiling in front of the enormous altarpiece of Carrara marble, depicting the life of Christ.
Erice’s 14th-century Duomo was constructed with stones from the ancient Temple of Venus, and the campanile (bell tower) that rises 28m (92 ft.) next to the church also has an ancient past, built in the late 15th century atop a watchtower from the 2nd century b.c. Frederick of Aragon, who eventually lost Sicily to the Spanish, built the campanile so his sentries could watch for invading troops in the sea lanes far below. The church’s porch, dubbed the “Gibbena” (from the Latin agi bene, meaning “act well”), is a later addition, built to accommodate penitents who weren’t allowed to partake in the Mass. They missed out on worshipping under a vaulted, arabesque ceiling in front of the enormous altarpiece of Carrara marble, depicting the life of Christ.
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