St. Leonard
The cult of St. Leonard, who lived in Gaul in the 6th century, spread widely from the 11th century onwards, thanks also to the Normans who were particularly devoted to him.
The statue, probably of local workmanship, comes from the small church of San Leonardo, located in the district of the same name. Towards the middle of the 18th century, this church, dilapidated and reduced to an animal shelter, was rebuilt by Bishop Francesco Maria De Miceli, who had been parish priest of San Leonardo in Messina, accumulating perpetual benefits. In addition to erecting a Confraternity, the bishop also wanted to leave a dowry so that the canons of the cathedral could celebrate mass there in suffrage of his soul on the feast day of the saint.
Unknown, probably 18th century
St. Nicholas the Bishop
The cult of St Nicholas on Lipari seems to be particularly ancient. It is assumed, in fact, that on the hill of San Nicola south of Portinente – where the small church of the same name, from which the statue comes, stands – some ‘Byzantine Calogero’ made his home in the 6th century and imported the brand new cult of St Nicholas of Myra, the Greek saint par excellence.
The small church itself, which stands on an ancient hypogeum and which could be dated back to the 17th century, would be nothing more than the last of many Christian reconstructions of an original pagan temple, as suggested by the still visible architectural elements of rebuilt structures.
