Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista - Erice

This church probably dates from the 12th century and, with its enviable panoramic position opposite Monte Cofano, is an iconic element in Erice's monumental landscape. It was restored in the 15th century and rebuilt a second time between 1631 and 1672, the period in which the dome was built and which bears an engraved inscription with that date. Construction of the bell tower, begun in 1691, remained unfinished. In 1798 it was completed with stucco.

The Brotherhood of San Giovanni Battista was one of the three major Erice confraternities .

The church houses masterpieces of Sicilian Renaissance sculpture, such as the Visitation Group of Gabriele di Battista, a work from 1497. In the chapel of San Giovanni Evangelista on the altar table is a marble statue of Saint John the Evangelist , a work made by Antonello Gagini in 1531

willem vandenameele