- Address
Via Beato Felice 2, Nicosia, Italy - Web
https://www.cappuccinimessina.it/ - Visiting Hours
Unknown - What to see
Painting of the Madonna degli Angeli
The Convent of Santa Maria degli Angeli, founded in 1546 by the Capuchin friars in Nicosia, Sicily, has a rich history and plays an essential role in Sicily’s Way of St. James. Its current pastoral function includes promoting devotion to San Felice da Nicosia and welcoming pilgrims, providing services such as a vocation house, assistance to religious groups and support to the diocesan clergy. Over the centuries, the convent has undergone transformations, from its initial establishment to its conversion into a prison during the suppression of religious orders in 1866. The construction of a new church in 1887 and its dedication in 1892 marked a new stage in the history of the convent, which also hosted the Sicilian Regional Novitiate between 1983 and 2010. In addition, the birthplace of San Felice, acquired by the Capuchin Province in 1953, has become a small shrine and place of worship.
The convent houses significant works of art, such as the grandiose painting of the Madonna degli Angeli (1615) by Gaspare Bazzano, along with other works by artists such as Nicolò Mirabella and Fr. Bonaventura Colò. The rich history of the convent and its commitment to spirituality, hospitality and religious service position it as a highlight on the St. James Way in Sicily, being a place of devotion, pilgrimage and sacred art that contributes to the cultural and religious identity of the region.
