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Visit Partinico
Partinico is a town to the north-west of Sicily, near Palermo.
Although the town of Partinico is relatively recent, it is rich in religious and civil buildings of historical and artistic interest. Start your visit in the Old Town, in “Piazza Duomo”, where there is a fountain in the late Baroque style dating back to the early 18th century.
Partinico Church
The main church of Partinico is found here in the Piazza Duomo - the Church has a single nave, and was built in the mid-16th century then further enlarged and restored in later centuries, with the construction of the bell tower (18th century); other works were carried out in the early nineteenth century. The main altar has fluted columns and Corinthian capitals supporting a triangular pediment of classical style, while the main façade is of Renaissance style.
Inside, note a picture taken in the first arch of the right aisle, depicting the 'Assunta', by Antonio Spatafora (1579-1594), a native painter of Palermo, and for this reason known as “The ‘Panormita’” [from Latin “Panormus”=Palermo]. Also worthy of particular attention are two paintings made in the seventeenth century, probably by the Lombard School, depicting "Saint Mary Magdalene in prayer" and "Santa Rosalia in ecstasy." To Vincenzo Manno (1750-1827?) are attributed "St. Joseph's sleeping" and "Christ among the apostles. "
In the Church of Jesus stands out the "Madonna del Ponte," attributed (but with many doubts) to Vincenzo Manno, who with his brothers ( Antonio [1739-1810], Francesco [1752-1831] and Salvatore [died 1831]) gave rise to one of the most famous "art workshops" of Sicily.
Other Partinico Churches
The Carmelo Church has a single nave and was restored in the early nineteenth century. In the church there are several works by V. Manno, to whom are attributed the "Our Lady of Carmelo" and the "Holy Family."
The church of St. Leonardo, built in the first half of the 17th century, stands out for the bell tower with spire covered with tiles with representations of the lives of saints. Inside the church there is the "Ascension of St. Augustine," by Pietro Novelli, a native painter of Monreale and therefore called "The Monrealese" (1603 - 1647), influenced by A. van Dyck (1599-1641), who worked in Palermo between 1622 and 1624.
The small church of S. Maria degli Angeli, built in 1617, contains some valuable works of art. Remarkable is the canvas of "Madonna with Saints Francis and Rosalie”, on the main altar. The painting is by Giuseppe Salerno, known as “Lo zoppo di Gangi” [The Crippled of Gangi] (1570-1633), a painter of late-Mannerist style.
Elsewhere in Partinico
After the churches, visit also the Museum, the art gallery (with many works by local artists) and the municipal library. The latter houses a collection of books comprising over 10,000 volumes and some incunabula of the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth century.
Places close to Partinico
Out of town we can visit the “Albachiara” Tower, one of several defensive towers which once surrounded Partinico and now largely disappeared.
Bourbon Winery
One distinctive place to visit is the so-called "Bourbon Winery", built by the Bourbons in the early 19th century, which incorporates a very ancient tower, probably dating from the 13th century. The “Bourbon Winery” arose as a centre for collection and sale of agricultural products from the nearby real estate. From this vast piece of land, the Bourbons drew wine, wheat, figs, fruit and vegetables, almonds, barley, beans, grapes, lentils, oats, oil and hay. The basement consists of a large courtyard divided into three sections. In the middle of it stands a tower-building with windows that recall the Catalan style.
Next to the building, there is a basement of 1000 square meters, with the main façade of the atrium, divided into three naves supported by pillars and cross arches connected together.
To honour the "Royal Bourbon Winery" and its vast production, what better than to sample the simple local dishes of Partinico, prepared according to the old traditions of Partinico and its country, such as the so-called "caponata", “Cannoli” with ricotta and other local specialities.
See also Partinico history and etymology
See the the Sicily travel guide for more places to visit in the same region as Partinico.