San Filippo di Fragalà Monastery, Frazzanò, Italy

The Monastery of San Filippo Fragala, located in the small town of Frazzanò, is one of the oldest basilian monasteries in Sicily. Approximately 2km from the town centre, the monastery was built from the Count Ruggero and his wife Adelasia in 1090 and was an important centre for religious studies on saints. In 1866 the rich library of the monastery was transferred into the town to create an easier access to the books but unfortunately they were not well kept from the authorities and most of it got dispersed. Lucky the greek and latin papers that dated prior to the 18th century were transferred to the museum of Palermo where they were taken better care of.

References:

sicily.co.uk

User Reviews

Claudia Magro (12 months ago)
A place full of history, in a beautiful position on the Aeolian Islands, a pity for the concrete interventions that cripple its purity. The lady who welcomed us was kind and competent I recommend the visit

Roberta Pace (13 months ago)
Enchantment. Wonderful monastery set in an equally wonderful natural landscape. It exudes an area of the past. The premises are well maintained and the entrance fee is low. The staff prepared and available. A must visit.

Giuseppe Squillaci (14 months ago)
Seen on 16/08/2020. Standing on the hill like a bulwark that dominates the immensity of the valley, it reaches down to the sea with a view of the Aeolian Islands. The restoration of the complex is incomplete and the floor of the corridor of the friars' cells was made with an ugly pour of concrete.

Nicola Randone (14 months ago)
A very suggestive place a few kilometers from Longi, a mixture of Arab / Christian art of which alas little has been preserved in terms of decorations. With a small contribution you can visit the interior of the monastery, the cells of the friars (largely rebuilt at the least badly), the large beam and the truly spectacular view from above on the Nebrodi mountains.

Rosario Occhipinti (15 months ago)
Unique experience and place. We found a special guide who explained the history and architecture of the structure in a detailed and engaging way. Wonderful panoramic position!

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Château de Falaise is best known as a castle, where William the Conqueror, the son of Duke Robert of Normandy, was born in about 1028. William went on to conquer England and become king and possession of the castle descended through his heirs until the 13th century when it was captured by King Philip II of France. Possession of the castle changed hands several times during the Hundred Years' War. The castle was deserted during the 17th century. Since 1840 it has been protected as a monument historique.

The castle (12th–13th century), which overlooks the town from a high crag, was formerly the seat of the Dukes of Normandy. The construction was started on the site of an earlier castle in 1123 by Henry I of England, with the 'large keep' (grand donjon). Later was added the 'small keep' (petit donjon). The tower built in the first quarter of the 12th century contained a hall, chapel, and a room for the lord, but no small rooms for a complicated household arrangement; in this way, it was similar to towers at Corfe, Norwich, and Portchester, all in England. In 1202 Arthur I, Duke of Brittany was King John of England's nephew, was imprisoned in Falaise castle's keep. According to contemporaneous chronicler Ralph of Coggeshall, John ordered two of his servants to mutilate the duke. Hugh de Burgh was in charge of guarding Arthur and refused to let him be mutilated, but to demoralise Arthur's supporters was to announce his death. The circumstances of Arthur's death are unclear, though he probably died in 1203.

In about 1207, after having conquered Normandy, Philip II Augustus ordered the building of a new cylindrical keep. It was later named the Talbot Tower (Tour Talbot) after the English commander responsible for its repair during the Hundred Years' War. It is a tall round tower, similar design to the towers built at Gisors and the medieval Louvre.Possession of the castle changed hands several times during the Hundred Years' War. The castle was deserted during the 17th century. Since 1840, Château de Falaise has been recognised as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture.

A programme of restoration was carried out between 1870 and 1874. The castle suffered due to bombardment during the Second World War in the battle for the Falaise pocket in 1944, but the three keeps were unscathed.

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