Cristo del Belvedere - Castellamare

The Christ of the Belvedere towers over Castellammare del Golfo from above with its arms spread wide like the protector embracing the city by the sea.
The Christ of the Belvedere is a place of prayer and a landmark for the inhabitants of Castellammare and passers-by.

Before National Road 187 was widened, there was reportedly a small crucifix near the Belvedere, which was lost during the works.

In the 1970s, Mr. Salvatore Palazzolo, together with Mr. Melchiorre Giuseppe Marchese, bought the crucifix of the Belvedere.
The work, originally made of natural wood, was created in 1969 in Trentino Alto Adige by the sculptor Otto Runggaldier.

Over time, the Belvedere Christ became a place of worship and Mr. Giuseppe Collica often visited the place. In February 1986 , in memory of the untimely death of their daughter and sister Angela , Giuseppe Collica and his son Rodolfo had the granite pavement made, the iron gate installed and a commemorative plaque installed. The same family later commissioned the Castellammare artist Giovan Battista Di Liberti to restore the Christ. For many years, the Collica family took care of the maintenance and cleaning of the crucifix.

Now the Bonghi family , in collaboration with some believers, is responsible for cleaning the crucifix and its restoration, which is being carried out thanks to a local fundraising campaign.

Willem Vandenameele