Abbazia di Santo Spirito

Description:

• There is one good reason to venture into the tacky modern city itself. Although this 13th-century church is rotting away, it is still a worthy goal, as you'll realize when you stand at its impressive Gothic entrance surmounted by a rose window. The single nave is adorned with a baroque interior of fantastic stucco work with four high reliefs believed to have been created by Giacomo Serpotta. The scenes depict The Adoration of the Magi, The Nativity, The Presentation of Christ at the Temple, and The Flight into Egypt. Take the exit to the right of the facade to look at the cloisters. Here you'll note a lovely entrance into the chapter house, lined with Gothic arcades. A handsome doorway leads through a pointed arch. On each side are elaborate windows in the Arabo-Norman style. The nuns in the adjoining convent still sell a sweet confection called kus-kus, composed of chocolate and pistachio nuts.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2010