The massacre of the faithful in the Church of the Annunziata in Chiaramonte Gulfi
During the Sicilian Vespers in 1299, Chiaramonte Gulfi was destroyed by the Angevins. French soldiers entered the Church of the Annunziata, killing all the faithful who had taken refuge there, including the priest who was holding the chalice for the Elevation, interrupting the Mass at its most solemn moment. After the looting and massacre inside the church, the French went to celebrate. At midnight, the bell of the Church of the Annunziata was heard tolling. The murdered priest appeared, holding the chalice, followed by all the faithful. The French were forced by a mysterious force to follow them to the church, where Mass resumed where it had been interrupted. After the celebration, a strong wind blew into the church and the walls began to shake. A chasm opened up from below, into which all the French soldiers fell, and immediately afterward the floor closed over them.
Property included in the IWB register of the Sicily Region (Places of the Sacred) - Sector "Places of the Marian Worship"
Site included in the Regional Map of Places of Identity and Memory in the Area (LIM) "The Places of the Sacred": The Places of Marian Worship
View the interactive map with the places of Marian worship: Interactive Map of the Places of Marian Worship
Card insertion: Ignazio Caloggero
Photo: Ignazio Caloggero
Informational contributions : Web, Sicily Region