Madonna di Custonaci, Erice
| Madonna di Custonaci, Erice | |
|---|---|
Chiesa della Madonna di Custonaci | |
Facade (2025) | |
Madonna di Custonaci, Erice | |
| 38°02′25″N 12°35′21″E / 38.0402472°N 12.5890758°E | |
| Location | Erice, Sicily |
| Country | Italy |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Chapel |
Madonna di Custonaci (Italian: Chiesa della Madonna di Custonaci or Cappella di Nostra Signora di Custonaci) is a small Roman Catholic chapel in Erice, Sicily, oriented toward the coast and the Santuario di Maria Santissima di Custonaci in the nearby town of Custonaci.[1]
The chapel had fallen into disuse by the early 19th century and was restored in 2020; at the reopening an image of the Madonna by the ceramicist Piero Amico was installed above the altar.[1][2]
The chapel lies on via Piscina Apollinis. The building was formerly a synagogue before its conversion to a chapel, a fact once attested by a plaque that has since been lost.[2]
Erice once had a substantial Jewish community. Their neighbourhood lay between the parish church of Sant'Antonio Abate and the Spanish Quarter, extending to the Fontanella at the eastern edge of the city. The expulsion of Jews ordered by Ferdinand the Catholic in 1492 led to the near-total abandonment of the district and its subsequent decline.[3]
Gallery
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Interior with the image of the Madonna by Piero Amico
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View from Erice towards Custonaci
References
- ^ a b Madonna di Custonaci, Erice la Montagna del Signore (23 July 2023).
- ^ a b Erice, inaugurata la Cappella di Maria Santissima di Custonaci, Telesud, 24 August 2020.
- ^ Tusa, Matteo (2017). Erice: Planning for Life. Erice: Self-published. ISBN 9788892667327.