Church of Santa Maria del Boikos in Vicari
The Church with convent of Santa Maria di Boikòs, also known as the Church of Biccari or Boico, is a church of Byzantine origin today reduced to the state of ruins.
The complex stands at the foot of the castle and was inhabited by Basilian monks. The first documents that testify to the presence of monks in this structure date back to October 1097, when King Roger, during his stay in Vicari, found the monks praying for his success over the infidels and granted them some lands.
The church dates back to the mid-18th century. It consists of a single nave with a main altar and two minor side altars. It is believed that this structure was built over an older church dating back to the fourteenth century and over the even older remains of another three-nave church dating back to the first half of the eleventh century.
The excavations conducted in 2016 they brought to light, in an area near the entrance to the church, a floor level, placed under the terracotta flooring, made with irregular stone dating back to the first half of the 14th century. Below this flooring, two superimposed layers of tombs were found, and in the upper layers the burials were adorned with precious objects of notable historical and artistic interest.
