Chiesa Sant' Alberto Dei Bianchi - Erice

The church, built in 1423, was dedicated to the Carmelite saint who lived in the 13th century and whom the inhabitants of Erice have always considered their fellow citizen.

In fact, the Abbati family was among the most important in Erice, owning a palace known as the birthplace of Sant'Alberto . In 1568 a group of nobles from Erice founded the Compagnia dei Bianchi, named after the color of their clothes and the chosen location was the small church; this company helped the poor materially and those spiritually condemned to death. In the 17th century, the church was renovated and enlarged, partly with alms and the contribution of the city council.

Other interventions took place towards the end of the 18th century, when the interior of the single nave was decorated with stucco. During the 19th and 20th centuries, devotion to the saint gradually weakened and the Compagnia dei Bianchi also ceased to exist.

The church, which was finally abandoned after the Second World War , was occasionally used for social events, later as a craft workshop for the Erice carpet and finally as a theater. It has recently been restored and reopened for worship.

Willem Vandenameele