Church of Sant'Alfonso
The construction of this work of art described bySaint-Non that stayed here: " ..convent, one of the most beautiful in Sicily",started in 1731 and ended in 1738, by will of Prince Bel Vedere, Vincenzo Del Bosco and his wife Donna Dorotea Benso e Alimena as we read on a tombstone inside the church and also on the outside door. It was designed by Padre Sebastiano da Petralia,according to the rules ofthe prototype adopted by the confraternity, only one aisle.The building is accessible by an enormous stairway on top of which stood the church, similar to the Chiesa Madre. The main bell tower stands at the back of the church on the right hand side. The interior, of baroque looking, stil keeps its original composition.Renowned sculptures adorn the wooden frame of the main altar, located before a mural representation of angels, saints, and monks praying at the feet of the Virgin. The roof decorations area copy of the painting by gentile da Fabiano and reproduce S. Francesco stigmas.The lateral altars are decorated with wooden statues amongst which a rather beautiful crucifix of unknown artist.Floors are covered by majolica tiles, now ruined by the years.Inside the great Convent, on the first floor a stands" a well-built courtyard" as Saint-Non described it, from which many quarters opened. On the first floor there was a big library with wooden shelves, several cells and the offices. Forty-eight rooms in all were available for the Frati Minori Riformati that the Prince himself invited in the building. Unfortunately of such monumental complex, only the church is left, deprived even of its tower bell and the sacristy since 1961 when it was decided that it was better to destroy them in order to build the new monastery. Very little is left of the great building and sorrow is the only consolation that we have before the devastating actions of men.