Church of Santa Maria della Croce and Convent in Scicli
The Complex of Santa Maria della Croce in Scicli , also known as Convent of the Cross , is a religious site, located on top of the Colle della Croce, which consists of a convent , a church and an oratory. It is one of the oldest buildings in the city and one of the most evocative places in the area.
The complex was founded by minor friars of the Franciscan order. In a lozenge-shaped cartouche, placed on the left side of the façade of the church, 1528 is indicated as the year of foundation and the date is congruent with the foundation of the convent, which is therefore contemporary with the church. According to other sources, the foundation of the church can be placed between the end of the fifteenth century and the beginning of the sixteenth century. The oratory, dedicated to Our Lady of Sion, is instead pre-existing and dated to the second half of the 15th century. The church and convent have residual late Gothic elements, spared from the earthquake of 1693. The convent develops on two trapezoidal courtyards. The church consists of a large rectangular room ending with a semicircular apse and covered by a barrel vault. The façade of the church, late Gothic, has twisted columns and two arches, one rounded and another pointed. Next to the church is a small oratory , dedicated to Our Lady of Sion, with a façade characterized by two semi-columns and a trefoil arch, with a cross in high relief on top. The frescoes have been detached, restored and are now exhibited in the church of Santa Teresa.
