Santa Maria del Bosco

The former Benedictine monastery of Santa Maria del Bosco (10km/6mi northwest of Giuliana) lies all on its own at an altitude of 831m/2,726ft. The existing buildings were erected from 1593 onwards on the site of an earlier building. Work did not finish until well into the 18th century. Since the dissolution of the monasteries in 1866 the site has been put to agricultural use. The buildings are no longer in good condition and the church itself has been in ruins since the earthquake of 1968.

Since the dissolution any movable artistic treasures have disappeared. These include the tombstone of Eleonora d'Aragona, a benefactress of the monastery, who died in 1415 in her castle at nearby Giuliana. The famous marble bust by Francesco Laurana was rescued from the tomb and is today in the Museo Regionale in Palermo.