The small village of Gangi and its wonders
Near the Madonie Park in the province of Palermo, in a scenic location surrounded by greenery, is the small village of Gangi, a charming town and a destination for many visitors.
Its roots can be found in a very distant past full of events that have left evidence in the territory that has come down to us.
The town rises more than 1,000 m above the sea, in an area called inland mountains from which one can admire dreamy views, especially Mount Etna.
What to see in Gangi
The medieval village boasts a truly remarkable historical, cultural and artistic heritage. Should you come across a trip to Sicily, you cannot miss the magnificent architecture that characterizes the city.
Mother Church of St. Nicholas
Positioned in the center of Gangi’s main square, the Mother Church, also known as the Cathedral of St. Nicholas of Bari, is the citadel’s most important place of worship.
Today the Mother Church is connected with the Ventimiglia Tower, which serves as the bell tower, although at the time it was erected as a civic tower.
The church was built in the 14th century and over the years the structure underwent changes, in fact originally there was only a nave and transept with three apsidal chapels.
Filled with statues attributed to sculptor Filippo Quattrocchi, the church also contains a beautiful fresco depicting the Last Judgment, by Giuseppe Salerno.
There is also a crypt, open to curious visitors and called “a fossa di parrini,” the tomb of priests. The name comes from the fact that the mummies of some priests are kept here, due to a tradition in effect between 1725 and 1872.
The Ventimiglia Tower
The tower now serves as the bell tower of the Mother Church and is a great example of Gothic-Norman architecture.
Its construction is dated to 1311 with its initial use as a watchtower and then becoming a bell tower in 1530.
The tower has three levels and underwent major restoration work in 2015. On the second floor there is an impressive permanent installation of a handcrafted nativity scene made by the master hands of a Gangi artisan.
Bongiorno Palace
The Palace is a wonderful 18th-century structure located in the center of Gangi, built at the behest of Baron Francesco Benedetto Bongiorno.
Today the Palace is home to the Gangi City Council and the Pro Loco on the lower floor. At the last, on the other hand, it is possible to admire seven staircases adorned with beautiful frescoes by painters Gaspare Fumagalli and Pietro Martorana.
An interesting curiosity about the Palace is that it was for years the venue for meetings of the Academy of Industrialists, a circle where moral theology was discussed.
Sgadari Palace and Civic Museum
The 19th-century Sgadari Palace is a historic building located in the heart of the town of Gangi, which belonged to the Sgadari family.
The building houses the Gangi Civic Museum, where it is possible to admire archaeological finds, paintings and a reconstruction of a typical local home at the turn of the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The museum is organized into four sections: the archaeological, ethno-anthropological, one of weapons and the Gianbecchina picture gallery.
In fact, artifacts ranging from the Archaic period to the early Christian era have been found in the hamlet’s surroundings. There is also no shortage of evidence of the period of Greek colonization in Sicily.
Regiovanni Castle
A few kilometers southward from the town of Gangi is the castle of Regiovanni, or rather, what are the remains still standing on the fortress.
In Arab times it was a castle of Enna and was built under the rule of the Ventimiglias around 1350.
All that remains are traces of walls on the rock blades, stairs carved into the rock, and a stone heraldic coat of arms of the Ventimiglia family on the entrance portal bearing the date 1418.
Shrine of the Holy Spirit
The building is located outside the historic center on the road leading to the state highway, embellished with fine decorations, stucco, frescoes, and ornamental chandeliers that catch the eye. Even if tired after walking the length and breadth of the historic center, this church is not to be missed!
Its construction is linked to a legend about a boulder that held a divine painting of the Eternal Father whose eyebrow was bleeding. This shrine is an example of how architecture was and still is an important means of communication through the beauty of art.
How to get to Gangi
From Palermo: A19 highway, Tremonzelli junction (from which is 38 km away), Polizzi Generosa junction, Castellana Sicula, Petralia Sottana, Geraci Siculo junction-direction Sperlinga, Nicosia.
From Catania: Highway A19 , Mulinello junction (from which is 50 km away), Leonforte, Nicosia junction, Sperlinga.
From Cefalù: S.S. 286, direction Castelbuono – Geraci Siculo.
From Messina: S.S. 113 , bivio San Mauro, Borrello basso, Borrello Alto, bivio Calabrò, bivio Comunello.
Giulia Nari