Church of Sant'Antonio Abate in Prizzi
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The Church of Sant'Antonio in Prizzi is an important religious building in the village as, inside, it houses works of considerable artistic value.
It was built in 1150 at the behest of the Bonello family, during the years of the Christianization of Sicily .
The facade has a particular feature: its bell tower was originally one of the three watchtowers of the castle of Prizzi. Of particular value is the dome which still retains Arab references.
Inside the church are kept works of notable artistic value: the marble group, decorated with gold, of the Madonna with Child Jesus placed on the main altar and attributed to Antonello Gagini (1478-1536); the stoup probably attributed to Gagini; the wooden group of the Virgin of Idria which depicts the Madonna with Child. The work is of exceptional workmanship and of high historical-iconographic value due to the oriental-style Byzantine-style pose of the Mother and Child, carried on the shoulders above a square wooden chest by two hermits, the so-called Calogeri , called by the locals vicchitti. It is said that it is the gift of the noble and ancient Villaraut family.
