After descending eighteen steps, one reaches the first level, which houses a permanent Nativity scene composed mainly of ancient shepherds of the 18th-century Neapolitan school, made of wood and terracotta.
Adjacent to the crib, there is the Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary where a number of 19th-century statues and the Virgin of the Rosary, an 18th-century work that holds a single grain of the once complete crown between her fingers. Along the path leading to the second level is the ancient and valuable Library. There is no trace of texts dating back to the Benedictine period, so it can be assumed that, when leaving the island around the end of the 15th century, the monks took the library and archive with them. The library of the Commendata Abbey was thus created in the mid-16th century by Cardinal Innico d'Avalos of Aragon and later by Cardinal Roberto Bellarmino.
There are many noteworthy texts and the oldest dates back to 1534.
Proceeding along the path, one arrives at the Chapel of St. Michael, which offers a striking depiction of the Immaculate Conception, frescoed in the 18th century on the vaulted ceiling.
The Chapel takes its name from an altar on which stands a statue of St Michael donated to the Abbey in 1811 by Procidans who had emigrated to Palermo. Here, you can also admire a precious 18th-century organ.
Descending two flights of a staircase carved into the rock and worn away by time, one reaches the Chapel of St. Alphonsus, which once housed the Confraternity of Our Lady of Sorrows, founded in 1733 by St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori and referred to by the dual name of 'Segreta' and 'dei Rossi'.
In the Chapel of St Alphonso, the wooden structure around the perimeter of the room is remarkable, as is the valuable 18th-century organ. On the altar of the chapel, there is also a splendid Deposition of Christ from 1746 by Domenico Guarino.
A highly original element here is three finely carved coffins, used to set up what could be described as a sort of burial chamber. The last level is the ossuary, the island's primordial burial place. It was accessed through some trapdoors that are still visible today. Here, a special treatment was reserved for the corpses: the bodies were put to "drain" and this operation, allowing the liquids of decomposition to drain away, allowed the corpse to dry out. In the mummification charnel house, it is still possible to see wrapped human remains. Inside the ossuary there is also the mass grave consisting of a huge, wineskin-shaped excavation. It was finally buried in 1968.
ABBEY OF SAINT MICHELE
Monday - 15:00-17:00
Tuesday 10:00-12:45 15:00-17:00
Wednesday 10:00-12:45 15:00-17:00
Thursday 10:00-12:45 15:00-17:00
Friday 10:00-12:45 15:00-17:00
Saturday 10:00-12:45 15:00-17:00
Sunday Closed
