Frazzanò - San Filippo di Fragalà

Founded as long ago as the fifth century, the monastery in Frazzanó was always highly regarded and survived even the destruction meted out to it by the Arabs in the ninth century. The reconstruction, which was undertaken immediately after the Norman conquest of Sicily, was concluded in 1090 under the abbot Gregory. The church dates from this year; it has the outline of a T-shaped Anthony cross with three projecting apses facing east.

Despite alterations in the 15th, 17th and 18th centuries, when the lantern and bell towers were built, the original character of this Basilian church (designed for Greek Orthodox monks) is still easily recognizable. Besides the outline of the apses, the windows, a doorway on the north side, several