Castelbuono

The village is situated about 423 m above sea level, on the hill Milocca, between the centers of north Pollina, San Mauro east, south-east Geraci Siculus, the massive Madonie south and west Isnello and Gibilmanna. It is part of the Madonie Park. Apart from the many churches, places of interest are the Museum and the Castle of Ventimiglia In which after the restoration of 1997 emerged the structures of a building above the Castle of Ventimiglia, built in 1316 by Count Francesco I Ventimiglia. The present building is the result of many renovations that make it difficult to reconstruct its original appearance. A simple rectangular plan, the outside shows a mixture of styles in that period influenced the whole architecture of Sicily. The volume in cubic recalls the Arabic style, the square corner towers echo the Norman round tower refers instead to the military construction Swabian. In the earthquake of the early nineteenth century disappeared blackbirds, shape Ghibelline swallow-tail, and also walls, towers and arches, now fallen into disrepair.

Some defensive structures of the thirteenth century, and some quarters of the fourteenth century are still intact. Within the rich rooms have coffered ceilings carved and decorated, and windows and doorways of Gothic (fifteenth century wooden ceiling of the "Sala Magna" decorated and resting on carved corbels). Date back to the fifteenth century also the first restructuring, following the transfer to the castle of the relic of St. Anne, then proclaimed patroness of the city. The original chapel of the Court was later converted into stock and then in the theater. In the "Palatine Chapel" is preserved relic of the urn, 1521, in the shape of the bust and decorated with reliefs, depicting scenes from the life of St. Anne and St. Joachim and the birth of Mary.

In the two side altars are seen two paintings, a "Descent of Christ", a copy of a work of Rubens, 1460, and '"Ecstasy of St. Liborio", painted by Mariano Castelbuono Galbo (nineteenth century). The interior is entirely covered in stucco, by brothers Joseph and James Francis Serpotta sorted by Rodrigo Ventimiglia. There are human figures depicted manly, cherubs, angels, floral elements sacred and mythological, with a variety of styles ranging from the most archaic heavy Joseph, to the more flexible and realistic than James. The apparatus consists of four figurative allegories that are well suited to Santa: the Presentation of Mary at the Temple; marriage of Joseph and Mary; allegory of Paganism and Christianity. In the choir stalls are the talking heads of the Lords Ventimiglia and Old Testament characters. In 1920 the castle, which had meanwhile come into the possession of Baron Fraccia, passed the town of Castelbuono. Now houses the Museum.

Translated from Italian with google translate

Source: Wikipedia