Sanctuary of Maria Santissima of Custonaci

The center of Marian worship

The Sanctuary of Maria Santissima of Custonaci is one of the most important places of worship in western Sicily and serves as a religious, historical, and cultural landmark for the local community. The sanctuary stands majestically in the centre of Custonaci with its imposing architecture and houses artworks and devotional objects.

Borgo Custonaci - Un tesoro di borgo Portale turistico della Città di Custonaci a Custonaci

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Legend has it that the icon of the Madonna of Custonaci arrived by sea in the 15th century, carried by a ship in distress that found refuge on the coast of Cornino, in Custonaci. The local inhabitants regarded this event as a blessing from the Virgin for their land and decided to build a church in her honour to house the sacred image.

Devotion to the Madonna of Custonaci replaced the pagan worship of Venus Ericina, and from that time, veneration of her deepened and spread throughout the agro-ericino region. Since then, the Madonna of Custonaci has been the patron saint of the city and the surrounding rural areas, including Erice and Valderice. Each year, during the last week of August, a festival is held in her honour, featuring a captivating procession that reenacts the arrival of the icon by sea, followed by religious and folkloric events which take place between the Sanctuary and the Bay of Cornino.

The present sanctuary building, constructed between the 15th and 16th centuries, presents a late Gothic style with Renaissance influences. Its facade is adorned with an elegant portal and a central rose window made of tuff stone and stained glass, while the interior captivates visitors with its beautiful 18th-century frescoes painted by Domenico La Bruna and the Baroque decorations of the high altar and presbytery, embellished with polychrome marble: a hallmark of Custonaci’s marble tradition. The entrance to the sanctuary is preceded by a grand stairway and a scenic forecourt, enhanced by a magnificent mosaic made of river stones forming floral and geometric patterns.

Among the many works of art, the most precious element of the sanctuary is undoubtedly the icon of the Madonna of Custonaci, a painted wooden panel of great artistic and religious value, attributed to the Tuscan school of the 15th century. Alternatively, it is presumed that it may belong to the school of Antonello da Messina.

The sacred image, depicting the Virgin holding and nursing the Child, is enshrined in a monumental altar, surrounded by votive offerings donated by the faithful over the centuries. Other valuable artworks from the 15th century are preserved in the adjoining Museum of Art and Faith.