Chiesa di San Carlo - Erice

The Church of San Carlo Borromeo, in its current form, was built after 1744 , when the original church attached to the monastery of the same name, founded in 1617, was demolished.

The complex consisting of the church and the monastery was inhabited by the nuns of the Franciscan Third Order.

The church contrasts the simplicity of its essential accuracy with a rich internal decoration , which, through the abundant use of stuccowork with architectural and floral motifs, reveals the work of authentic, albeit unknown, craftsmen with Serpottian inspiration, who at the end of the 19th century worked in smaller towns. the eighteenth century.

The facade is made of exposed, non-square brickwork typical of Erice buildings, while a single rectangular window and a simple bell tower interrupt the bare architectural simplicity.

On the nave and in the choir there are galleries with balconies protected by volute grilles , and above the entrance is the "schola cantorum", which follows the style of the galleries. Worthy of attention are an oil canvas by an unknown artist depicting the Patriarch, and an oil panel by Pietro D'Andrea depicting the Crucifixion. Of particular interest is the 18th century Trapani majolica tiled floor.

The monastic community is known for the preparation of the typical "badia desserts" , which are still produced today by the pastry chefs of Erice, according to ancient recipes.

Willem Vandenameele