Its official name is the Basilica of the Holy Trinity of the Chancellor but is commonly known as the Basilica della Magione.
The church was founded, along with the Cistercian abbey, by Chancellor of the Kingdom Matthew Norman Ajello in 1191. Henry VI bestowed the Order of Teutonic Knights in 1197, and became the seat of the "Mansi", the tutor of the order, hence the name Mansfield. They do it even more property and prestige, but following the political changes in 1492 it was stolen from the Knights and turned into a commendation and governed by the so-called abbots.
It remained under their guidance until 1787, when Ferdinand II of Bourbon aggregate the Basilica with all its assets to the Constantinian Order of Saint George.
Today the church, with its attached cloister of the twelfth century, presents itself as a particular example of Arab-Norman art with lancet windows inserted and the reason for the interwoven arches typical of the period reproduced in the apse. The space inside is huge, this is explained by the fact that it was a church and monastery to accommodate the masses of the entire community of monks who were also the "chorus".
The interior is bare and made of simple lines, with pointed arches supported by columns and a painted wooden ceiling.
The Cistercian cloister is heavily damaged by bombing, but you can see the remains of an Arabic tower. At the centre of the cloister, the real shaft comes from reuse of material of the fourteenth century, for a tomb, with inscriptions in Hebrew.
In the chapel of Santa Cecilia there is a beautiful two-light window, where the central column there is an inscription in Arabic: "Allah is merciful."
Written by Chiara Guzzetti - Last update: 18/09/2019