The Sanctuary of San Vito Lo Capo

The Sanctuary and its Museum

The Sanctuary is the symbol of San Vito Lo Capo, it is certainly the most interesting monument of the town, which was dedicated to Saint Vito Martyr.

The small village grew slowly up around it.
After several construction projects, the fortress that surrounded the church took its current dimensions: 104 meters wide, 16 m. high, the walls go from a big of 2,5 meters to a minimum of twenty centimeters.

It is very interesting to note that this building is rich in architectural elements. In it coexist the slits, the rose window of the facade and balconies, the watchtower and votive niches.

Elements of civil, military and religious construction are put together in a single building of rare harmony.
Entering the Sanctuary you can admire the ancient apse, where there is a beautiful marble statue representing the Saint (1500) attributed to the famous sculptor Gagini; beautiful is also the altar of the chapel restored around 1780 enriched with precious marbles.

The exterior of the sanctuary was restored in early 1998.
However, the tower is more recent; it was built around 1600, immediately after the other guard towers that are located along the coast, built by the Florentine architect Camilliani.

The Museum

In the rooms of the sanctuary there is a small and interesting museum that you should visit.

There is a room dedicated to “Argenti” that also houses one of the most important works of the museum, the wooden statue of the Immaculate Conception of the fifteenth century, while in the next room dedicated to wallpapers there is the famous seventeenth-century green velvet casula.

The magnificent noble staircase instead displays the paintings, some of them belong to the contemporary art.
Finally, you arrive to the terraces, where you can enjoy an amazing view of the town.