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Visit Tusa
Tusa is situated on the coast of northern Sicily, east of Cefalu, and is a popular and developed seaside resort.
The heart of Tusa retains its medieval character with narrow and winding streets, while from the historical and artistic point of view the town stands out for its many churches.
Tusa churches
The Cathedral Church dates from the 16th century and was restored in the 18th century. The present building, situated in the Old Town of Tusa near the Civic Tower, has a façade with two portals, a medieval pointed arch, and one in Baroque style. The church has three naves separated by columns on two sets with round arches. The nave is covered by a barrel vault, the aisles of vaults. The façade is unfinished, while the interior was decorated in the 18th century by Michele Calabrò with a painting of the 'Assumption'. On the main altar a marble triptych attributed to Antonello Gagini (1478-1536) was placed. In the altar there is a wooden statue of Our Lady of the Assumption, carved by Simeone Li Volsi in the seventeenth century. He also made the plaster sculptures of saints and prophets that adorn the walls of the choir.
The chapel of the Blessed Sacrament has an altar carved by Salvatore Allegra (18th century). The Chapel of the Rosary stands out for a wooden statue of Our Lady by Simeone Li Volsi. The Chapel of the Crucifix is home to the marble statue, attributed to Gagini, depicting the "Madonna of Mercy." The Chapel of the Souls in Purgatory has a picture by the painter Zoppo di Gangi (1588-1630) and on the first altar of the left aisle, dedicated to Saints Cosmas and Damian, is a painting by Francesco Bonomo (18th century).
According to tradition, the Church of San Nicola di Bari was the first church built in Tusa, and served as the mother church throughout the 15th century. The church has two aisles of unequal height, divided by columns and pillars on which the arches rest. The cover is made of wood; in the smaller nave the arches and the side portal belong to the earliest phase, while the nave was rebuilt in the 14th century.
The Church of St. John the Baptist is in Arab-Norman style and is situated in the oldest part of Tusa. It is almost square and is divided into three naves by two rows of columns. The nave is covered by a vaulted ceiling with windows. On the main altar there is a statue of St John, attributed to Giovanbattista Li Volsi (17th century). The bell tower has a spire of majolica and it was attached to the church in the middle of the 17th century.
The Church of Sant'Antonio Abate, of uncertain date, has a single aisle. In the 16th century it held the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary (at Tusa the Confraternities were very numerous, among them those of the Most Holy Rosary, St. Nicholas, the Holy Cross, Mount of Mercy, Purgatory, St. John the Baptist and St. Michael the Archangel). In Tusa today only the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament survives.
The Church of St. Joseph was built around the beginning of the 17th century. The church has a nave covered with a barrel vault, while the statue of St. Joseph on the main altar and on the side altars were carved by members of the Li Volsi family.
Last but not least the Church of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria was built in the 16th century just outside the walls in the neighborhood called “Il Borgo”. The church has a nave with a barrel vault and inside there is a picture of the "Delivery of the Keys to St. Peter”, attributed to Alonzo Rodriquez (1578-1648) and another with the “Madonna of the Rosary”, by Galbo da Castelbuono (18th century).
Other notable highlights in Tusa
Of particular importance is the Oratory of the Blessed Sacrament, built in the 17th century and situated in the main square, which stands out for the façade in Baroque style. It has a single nave covered with a barrel vault. The oratory was the seat of the Confraternity of the "Compagnia del SS. Sacramento".
Among the other monuments of great interest is the Riggieri Bridge, situated on the consular road toward Herbita and Enna. This road was known as the “Via Frumentaria.” It was along this road that agricultural products were transported to be shipped in the "Caricatore" of Alesa and exported to Rome. The current ruins are of uncertain date, but they date back presumably to Roman times.
Another civil artifact of great interest is the so-called MigaidoTower in the valley of the Tusa River. It is a cylindrical tower, probably dating from the ninth century, during the Arab invasion. The tower has walls with a thickness of about 3 meters and its primary function was as a watch tower.
Your cultural visit to Tusa may be terminated by the archeological site of "Halaesa Archonidea”, located in the district called "Santa Maria delle Palate".
Tusa traditions
Tusa has longstanding traditions in both local food products and in crafts. The local cuisine includes beef, sheep, lamb and traditional sweets and cheeses - at Tusa the production of cheese is represented by several typical local cheeses (provolone, "Tuma" and ricotta cheese), and also by homemade bread and fresh pasta. Some traditional sweets are the "taralli” and biscuits with almonds and pistachios.
Tourists who are fond of a fine antique can find some high quality craftworks, very representative of the local region, such as the so-called lace "a tombolo", documented until the 17th century, which flourished with very original designs. The handicraft relating to construction has excellent examples of wrought iron gates, carved wooden main doors, and railings of stairs carved in local limestone
See also Tusa history and etymology.
See the the Sicily travel guide for more places to visit in the same region as Tusa.