Overview
The City of the Leopard
It stands on a rocky rise and dominates from above the valley, which stretches down to the sea. It is Palma of Montechiaro, a small town a few steps from Agrigento.
A fictional fiefdom of Donnafugata in the novel The Leopard, the village is distinguished by its mother church, among the most significant works of Sicilian Baroque. The three-nave plan is characterised by the scenic staircase and the two external bell towers.
Not to be outdone is the Ducal Palace, located on a rocky spur in the widening once called Piazza del Belvedere. The rooms are dominated by coffered ceilings, decorated with different subjects.
The Benedictine Monastery enshrines the relics of Sister Crucified and stands on a steep semicircular staircase, inside a square-shaped square.
Also, visit the military architecture of the Montechiaro Castle, which was converted centuries ago into a sanctuary of the local Madonna, the Madonna del Castello, and the San Carlo Tower, with its quadrangular body on a base in the shape of a truncated pyramid.
Finally there is the Calvario hill, with the ruins of the ancient Baroque Church of St Mary of the Light.
92020 Palma di Montechiaro AG, Italia
