Maria Santissima Assunta, Gothic church in Castelbuono, Italy.
Maria Santissima Assunta is a church in Castelbuono with a Gothic-Catalan entrance portal and a three-arched portico built in the 16th century. The bell tower above displays architectural elements that blend Romanesque and Gothic styles in its design.
The church was built in the 14th century and experienced significant renovations over time. Archaeological work during these renovations uncovered evidence of an earlier 13th-century structure beneath the present building.
The interior walls display painted fragments from the 14th century showing saints and religious figures, while the crypt preserves paintings depicting scenes from Jesus's life. These artworks reflect the deep religious devotion that developed within these walls over many generations.
The church stands in the historic centre of Castelbuono, a short walk from Piazza Margherita. The entrance is on the facade with the three-arched portico; the sacristy door, next to which the encaustic fragment is kept, lies inside. The crypt is reached from the presbytery area, down steps, so visitors should allow time for the lower level.
The ciborium in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament stands over four metres high and two wide, attributed to Giorgio da Milano and made around 1493. Two pairs of spiral columns rise in two orders: angels hold baldachin-like draperies, twelve kneeling angels surround the tabernacle, and the predella shows the Last Supper with apostles and prophets at the sides. The upper order carries the Crucifixion, flanked by two saints, beneath a lunette of the Nativity and a bust of the blessing Father Eternal.
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