San Giovanni Church, Erice, Italy

Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista has existed since 1339, but during the centuries it has gone through many changes and enlargements. It is characterized by a double façade with walls, of a severe light and shade intensity that culminates with an ample and splendid dame. The church was built in a panoramic position of particular beauty, that still allows the admiration of the valley and the coast up to Mount Cofano. Today it is used as an auditorium since it is no longer a place of worship. Inside the church of San Giovanni Battista (Saint John the Baptist) one can admire a sculpture depicting San Giovanni Evangelista- Saint John the Evangelist by Antonino Gagini and a statue of San Giovanni Battista - Saint John the Baptist, a work by Antonello Gagini.

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Trapani Tourism

Religious sites in Italy

User Reviews

Francesco Spina (5 months ago)
Beautiful view of the coast and of Monte Cofano in the distance

Dan M (10 months ago)
Not for the Church but definitely for the amazing Landscape Don't expect anything special with this Church else you'll be disappointed. But the amazing view on Sicily below is absolutely worth the walk and your time, even if you have few of it in Erice. The view on Riserva Naturale Orientata Monte Cofano (Mount Hood) is stunning, if you have a clear weather of course. So I'd recommend, if you can afford to be flexible with your schedule, to choose a day with a clear weather before climbing to Erice.

Laura Naturally (10 months ago)
This place is beautiful

Vincenza Giustinianih j (2 years ago)
For those who want to relax and enjoy a unique environment it is ideal !! Splendid place! Very spiritual ...

Zygmunt Borowski (3 years ago)
Church of St. John the Baptist is one of several churches in Erice, located on the outskirts of the city. Historical research indicates the emergence of this church as early as the fourteenth century, it underwent renovation in the fifteenth and was enlarged in the seventeenth century. On the picturesque background of the Cofano mountains, between the sky and the sea rises the high dome of this beautiful church. It contains valuable sculptures and other works of art inside. - Church of St. John Baptist is one of several churches in Erice, located on outskirts of city. Historical research is the 17th century 17th century. On the picturesque background of Cofano mountains, between the sky and the sea. It contains valuable sculptures and other works of art inside.

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Glimmingehus is the best preserved medieval stronghold in Scandinavia. It was built 1499-1506, during an era when Scania formed a vital part of Denmark, and contains many defensive arrangements of the era, such as parapets, false doors and dead-end corridors, 'murder-holes' for pouring boiling pitch over the attackers, moats, drawbridges and various other forms of death traps to surprise trespassers and protect the nobles against peasant uprisings. The lower part of the castle's stone walls are 2.4 meters (94 inches) thick and the upper part 1.8 meters (71 inches).

Construction was started in 1499 by the Danish knight Jens Holgersen Ulfstand and stone-cutter-mason and architect Adam van Düren, a North German master who also worked on Lund Cathedral. Construction was completed in 1506.

Ulfstand was a councillor, nobleman and admiral serving under John I of Denmark and many objects have been uncovered during archeological excavations that demonstrate the extravagant lifestyle of the knight's family at Glimmingehus up until Ulfstand's death in 1523. Some of the most expensive objects for sale in Europe during this period, such as Venetian glass, painted glass from the Rhine district and Spanish ceramics have been found here. Evidence of the family's wealth can also be seen inside the stone fortress, where everyday comforts for the knight's family included hot air channels in the walls and bench seats in the window recesses. Although considered comfortable for its period, it has also been argued that Glimmingehus was an expression of "Knighthood nostalgia" and not considered opulent or progressive enough even to the knight's contemporaries and especially not to later generations of the Scanian nobility. Glimmingehus is thought to have served as a residential castle for only a few generations before being transformed into a storage facility for grain.

An order from Charles XI to the administrators of the Swedish dominion of Scania in 1676 to demolish the castle, in order to ensure that it would not fall into the hands of the Danish king during the Scanian War, could not be executed. A first attempt, in which 20 Scanian farmers were ordered to assist, proved unsuccessful. An additional force of 130 men were sent to Glimmingehus to execute the order in a second attempt. However, before they could carry out the order, a Danish-Dutch naval division arrived in Ystad, and the Swedes had to abandon the demolition attempts. Throughout the 18th century the castle was used as deposit for agricultural produce and in 1924 it was donated to the Swedish state. Today it is administered by the Swedish National Heritage Board.

On site there is a museum, medieval kitchen, shop and restaurant and coffee house. During summer time there are several guided tours daily. In local folklore, the castle is described as haunted by multiple ghosts and the tradition of storytelling inspired by the castle is continued in the summer events at the castle called "Strange stories and terrifying tales".

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