What to Visit in Riposto

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St. Peter's Basilica

The largest of the churches that were placed in the church of Our Lady of the Letter is the title of the oldest. In neoclassical style, its architectural lines recall the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano in Rome. It is located in the main square of the village and the construction work began on 22 August 1808 and was completed in 1865. The cult opened in 1818 and, until the date of completion of the work, the dome and the pulpit were added to the main body. From the artistic point of view, the beautiful and harmonious facade, recently cleaned, is in white stone of Comiso and has the bell tower incorporated in the center; the dome rests on a drum with eight loggias and lantern on top. The interior has a Latin cross with three naves.

In the right aisle there is the baptistery in gilded wood, in the shape of a temple, nineteenth-century work of Salvatore Matteo, resting on marble columns, surmounted by the painting depicting "The Baptism of Jesus", work of Francesco Paolo Finocchiaro. The central nave leads to the magnificent pulpit of 1892.

The central apse, with raised floor compared to that of the nave, contains the high altar, decorated with precious marble; the wooden organ built in France in 1879, the wooden choir with stalls carved in walnut. The left aisle contains the altars dedicated to the Holy Family, Saint Anthony of Padua and the Rosary with a painting depicting the Madonna together with S. Domenico and S. Rosa da Lima.

In the right-hand vault there is an altarpiece depicting the "Martyrdom of St. Sebastian", made by Antonino Bonaccorsi in 1874. The left apse contains the chapel of the Sacramento with a gilded coffered roof and circular temple-shaped cibarium with eight Corinthian-style columns on the altar. The entrance to the sacristy presents a wooden sculpture depicting the tiara and the keys of Saint Peter. Pretty mullioned windows and coats of arms of ancient noble families, fragments of Roman houses, can be found along the narrow streets that wind through the village opening into unexpected and enchanting open spaces and squares, or on magnificent views of the sea, are the most evocative features of the village, guardian of the affections and ancient customs of the inhabitants.

SANCTUARY

Virgin Mary of the Holy Letter

The oldest church in Riposto.
Defined as the oldest temple in Riposto, there are references to the site already in the work "La Sicilia in prospettiva" by the Jesuit G.A. Massa, dated 1709, which dated back to before 1584. On 12 January 1710 Don Giovanni Calì del fu Santoro was given the land where the Church would be built. In 1761 the right to permanently administer the sacraments was granted and the brotherhood of the SS Crocifisso and San Andrea Apostolo was born.
In 1868 King Vittorio Emanuele II granted the extension of the nave, the reconstruction of the facade and the realization of the apse. In 1979 a series of renovations brought to light the crypts below the building which, after careful reconnaissance, bear traces of presences dating back to Roman, Byzantine and Arab times.

Inside the church you can admire some valuable paintings. The painting of St. Emidio Martire has a high historical value because it shows the development of the urban fabric in the early nineteenth century. The painting of Our Lady of the Letter was made in the '700 by an anonymous author and represents the two fundamental truths, faith and royalty, represented by the letter and the globe.

Church of Our Lady of Sorrows and Orphanage

The construction of the church of Our Lady of Sorrows(a badia) is closely linked to the construction of the orphanage of Riposto wanted by the priest Don Carmelo Grassi who in 1811 asked the King to build an orphanage to "receive the orphaned maidens... who vagrantly wander and were exposed to the insults of the ruthless youth..."

On 28/12/1813 with the deed of the notary Giuseppe Pappalardo di Mascali (Ct) the orphanage was founded. A series of legacies in money and real estate allow the start of its construction.

"Badia" 1910 circa

The "addoloratine", so the nuns who worked at the orphanage were called, presumably lent their work until 1889. From 1900 to 1907 they were replaced by the Alcantarine Sisters. Later, from 1907 to 1914 the Sisters of Saint Anne settled there.

From 1914 to today the sisters of the Catholic apostolate (sisters pallottine).

The church was completed of its bell tower in 1930 with great contribution of the population; the façade of the church was restored and 2 bronze bells were melted.

The orphanage recognized IPAB (institution of public assistance and charity) with D.P. No. 478 of 14 July 1988.

The church of Our Lady of Sorrows today

The church of Our Lady of Sorrows, owned by IPAB, open for worship can be visited on request, when not open for religious services, by making a request on site at the IPAB.

CHURCH

Church of SS. Virgin Mary of the Rosary

Located in the seaside hamlet of Torre Archirafi is worth mentioning for the central portal by the sculptor Giovanni Murganti.

The sculpted scenes, divided into four counterclockwise panels from below, depict the fundamental stages of the life of Jesus Christ: the Annunciation, the Nativity, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection.

Also valuable is the side bronze door, the work of the sculptor Venera Giuffrida. The central element is the sea, of fundamental importance for the life of the fraction, and there are scenes related to the Gospel element: the call of the first apostles, Jesus gives food to the apostles, the crowd that listens to the words of Jesus and, finally, Christ placating the waters.

school

Nautical Institute "Luigi Rizzo"

One of the most prestigious foundations of the Ripostese marine is the Nautical Technical Institute "Luigi Rizzo".

In 1819 the shipowners asked the Bourbon government for a school to create captains of cabotage and offshore, the institution was granted with sovereign rescript of 12 February 1820. The school operated regularly from 1820 to 1864 and only children of seafarers were admitted.

With the Royal Decree of 14 October 1873 the school was elevated to Reggio Istituto Nautico and was annexed a meteorological observatory of 2 class. For about 100 years the importance of the Nautical Institute of Riposto was comparable to that of the most important nautical schools in Italy such as: Venice, Genoa, La Spezia, Palermo, Naples, Cagliari.

In 1958 the Institute took the name of "Luigi Rizzo" in memory of the famous Sicilian hero. During the two world wars many officers graduated from the Nautical Institute were decorated with medals of military valor for having sacrificed, as heroes, their lives in the fulfilment of their duty.

Today inside the Institute you can admire an interesting planetarium, as well as a well-stocked library in which important volumes dating back to the early nineteenth century are preserved. There are also numerous tables of technical drawings dating back to the early twentieth century in which are depicted sections and mechanical parts of vessels of the time.

Promenade of Torre Archirafi

Palazzo Vigo

Located in the characteristic hamlet of Torre Archirafi.
Built at the beginning of the '700 after alternating vicissitudes became the property of the Duke of Archirafi Giovanni Natoli Ruffo Prince of Sperlinga. Passed by succession, in 1770, to Francesco Moncada dei Natoli and, Later, it was bought by the Vanni family.In 1940 they became owners of Vigo to whose name is now linked.

botanic graden

Kentie's Park

It is an area of 9000 square meters that falls within the urban territory. The bioclimate is of subhumid thermo-Mediterranean type with large water deficit in the summer months. The garden owes its name to the presence in the open ground of 100 specimens of Howea Forsteriana Becc., up to 10 m high, dating back to the early '900 and constitute a unique environment in the regional territory.
The Municipality of Riposto, in order to make this heritage usable, entrusted scientific management to the Department of Botany of the University of Catania. The building houses a herbarium with information, In addition, on the spontaneous Sicilian flora and medicinal plants. Schools are supported by a laboratory equipped with instrumentation for the observation of plant organs and their anatomy. Opening hours: from 9.00 to 13.00 on weekdays. Guided tours by appointment only