Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Porta Santa

Enna (known until 1926 as Castrogiovanni) is located roughly at the center of Sicily, towering above the surrounding countryside. During the Punic Wars, Enna was occupied first by the Carthaginians and then by the Romans. After the Romans, the Byzantines ruled. After a first unsuccessful attack in the summer of 827, the Arabs conquered the city in 859 after several years of siege. In 1088 it was conquered by the Normans. Maria SS. della Visitazione (also known as Duomo di Enna) was founded at the behest of Eleonora d'Angiò, wife of Frederick III of Aragon and fervent devotee of the Madonna, to celebrate the birth of Pietro, their son. Built in Gothic style, in 1446 a serious fire destroyed it except for an apse and a part of the right side. It was reconstructed with the support of Alfonso V of Aragon. The walled-up "Porta Santa" is one of the few remains of the building destroyed by the fire. . I have already uploaded a lot of photos previously taken in Sicily. Now I will add only a few. If you want to see more, follow this link: www.ipernity.com/doc/323415/album/1238300

Atri was known as Hadria, when the Romans founded a colony here in 282BC. Actually Roman emperor Hadrian's family originally derived from this place. After the fall of the Roman Imperium, the Lombards established hegemony over the area in the 6th century and Atri got annexed to the Duchy of Spoleto. The Lombards were displaced by the Normans, whose noble House of Acquaviva family ruled the town from about 1393, before merging their lands into the Kingdom of Naples in 1757. The present cathedral has several predecessor buildings, that were founded in the ruins of a Roman thermal from the 2nd century. It was consecrated in 1223. Reconstructions occurred during the following two centuries. The sober white stone façade has a large portal designed by Raimondo del Poggio and Rainaldo d'Atri between 1288 and 1305. The right side wall of the cathedral has three portals. This portal was created in 1305 by Rainaldo d'Atri in Gothic style. The fresco representing the Coronation of Mary was executed an unknown artist. This portal is a "Porta Sancta" ("Holy Door"). There are only a few churches in the world that have a "Porta Sancta" and the plenary indulgence associated with it. In 1295 the Porta Sancta of Atri is mentioned, which was built in that period. It is assumed that originally there must have been a small portal, which was then replaced by the present one in 1305. Even today the Holy Door is solemnly opened on August 14 in the presence of thousands of people and closed 8 days later, on August 22.

Santa Maria di Propezzano was once part of the Benedictine abbey of the same name. According to tradition, an apparition of Our Lady of God took place here in May 715. An inscription from the 15th century describes that three pilgrims on their way back from the Holy Land stopped here under a tree. They had hung bags with valuable relics on it, when suddenly the tree began to grow very quickly. The pilgrims could not reach the bags no matter how hard they tried. Frightened, they prayed and asked God for an explanation. When they fell asleep, our Lady appeared to them in a dream, asking that a church be built in that place. As soon as they woke up, they began to build an altar. The tree lowered and allowed them to get the bags. The entire complex is the result of numerous reconstructions and changes made in different eras, as it was destroyed by waves of barbarians, Illyrian pirates, Hungarians and Saracens. The first foundations of a church are dated to the 9th century. The building dates back to the 13th century. The building measures about 8 x 30 meters and belongs to a single-nave Romanesque church. In the 14th century the side naves that determined the division of the inner hall into three naves, were added. Two lions flank the oculus

Santa Maria di Propezzano was once part of the Benedictine abbey of the same name. According to tradition, an apparition of Our Lady of God took place here in May 715. An inscription from the 15th century describes that three pilgrims on their way back from the Holy Land stopped here under a tree. They had hung bags with valuable relics on it, when suddenly the tree began to grow very quickly. The pilgrims could not reach the bags no matter how hard they tried. Frightened, they prayed and asked God for an explanation. When they fell asleep, our Lady appeared to them in a dream, asking that a church be built in that place. As soon as they woke up, they began to build an altar. The tree lowered and allowed them to get the bags. The entire complex is the result of numerous reconstructions and changes made in different eras, as it was destroyed by waves of barbarians, Illyrian pirates, Hungarians and Saracens. The first foundations of a church are dated to the 9th century. The building dates back to the 13th century. The building measures about 8 x 30 meters and belongs to a single-nave Romanesque church. In the 14th century the side naves that determined the division of the inner hall into three naves, were added.

Santa Maria di Propezzano was once part of the Benedictine abbey of the same name. According to tradition, an apparition of Our Lady of God took place here in May 715. An inscription from the 15th century describes that three pilgrims on their way back from the Holy Land stopped here under a tree. They had hung bags with valuable relics on it, when suddenly the tree began to grow very quickly. The pilgrims could not reach the bags no matter how hard they tried. Frightened, they prayed and asked God for an explanation. When they fell asleep, our Lady appeared to them in a dream, asking that a church be built in that place. As soon as they woke up, they began to build an altar. The tree lowered and allowed them to get the bags. The entire complex is the result of numerous reconstructions and changes made in different eras, as it was destroyed by waves of barbarians, Illyrian pirates, Hungarians and Saracens. The first foundations of a church are dated to the 9th century. The building dates back to the 13th century. The building measures about 8 x 30 meters and belongs to a single-nave Romanesque church. In the 14th century the side naves that determined the division of the inner hall into three naves, were added.

Santa Maria di Propezzano was once part of the Benedictine abbey of the same name. According to tradition, an apparition of Our Lady of God took place here in May 715. An inscription from the 15th century describes that three pilgrims on their way back from the Holy Land stopped here under a tree. They had hung bags with valuable relics on it, when suddenly the tree began to grow very quickly. The pilgrims could not reach the bags no matter how hard they tried. Frightened, they prayed and asked God for an explanation. When they fell asleep, our Lady appeared to them in a dream, asking that a church be built in that place. As soon as they woke up, they began to build an altar. The tree lowered and allowed them to get the bags. The entire complex is the result of numerous reconstructions and changes made in different eras, as it was destroyed by waves of barbarians, Illyrian pirates, Hungarians and Saracens. The first foundations of a church are dated to the 9th century. The building dates back to the 13th century. The building measures about 8 x 30 meters and belongs to a single-nave Romanesque church. In the 14th century the side naves that determined the division of the inner hall into three naves, were added. Pilgrims and vandals left their marks here.

Santa Maria di Propezzano was once part of the Benedictine abbey of the same name. According to tradition, an apparition of Our Lady of God took place here in May 715. An inscription from the 15th century describes that three pilgrims on their way back from the Holy Land stopped here under a tree. They had hung bags with valuable relics on it, when suddenly the tree began to grow very quickly. The pilgrims could not reach the bags no matter how hard they tried. Frightened, they prayed and asked God for an explanation. When they fell asleep, our Lady appeared to them in a dream, asking that a church be built in that place. As soon as they woke up, they began to build an altar. The tree lowered and allowed them to get the bags. The entire complex is the result of numerous reconstructions and changes made in different eras, as it was destroyed by waves of barbarians, Illyrian pirates, Hungarians and Saracens. The first foundations of a church are dated to the 9th century. The building dates back to the 13th century. The building measures about 8 x 30 meters and belongs to a single-nave Romanesque church. In the 14th century the side naves that determined the division of the inner hall into three naves, were added. The rich portal, attributed to the work of Raimondo del Poggio's workshop and dated to the early 14th century, is the "Porta Santa". Two details of the outer archivolt of the "Porta Santa" and some Christmas illumination.

Santa Maria di Propezzano was once part of the Benedictine abbey of the same name. According to tradition, an apparition of Our Lady of God took place here in May 715. An inscription from the 15th century describes that three pilgrims on their way back from the Holy Land stopped here under a tree. They had hung bags with valuable relics on it, when suddenly the tree began to grow very quickly. The pilgrims could not reach the bags no matter how hard they tried. Frightened, they prayed and asked God for an explanation. When they fell asleep, our Lady appeared to them in a dream, asking that a church be built in that place. As soon as they woke up, they began to build an altar. The tree lowered and allowed them to get the bags. The entire complex is the result of numerous reconstructions and changes made in different eras, as it was destroyed by waves of barbarians, Illyrian pirates, Hungarians and Saracens. The first foundations of a church are dated to the 9th century. The building dates back to the 13th century. The building measures about 8 x 30 meters and belongs to a single-nave Romanesque church. In the 14th century the side naves that determined the division of the inner hall into three naves, were added. The rich portal, attributed to the work of Raimondo del Poggio's workshop and dated to the early 14th century, is the "Porta Santa".