Aidone, Enna S. Maria la Cava Probable date 1061–1070

    Also known as S. Maria del Piano, this former priory is an almost unique example of Lombard Romanesque architecture in Sicily. Its presence is explained by the settlement in this and other parts of the island (e.g. Sperlinga) of colonies of Lombards, who came in the wake of the Normans when Sicily was still ruled by counts rather than kings (1061–1130). A Siculo-Lombard-Norman dialect is still spoken in these parts, and is now being studied by medieval glottologists and historians. It is difficult to reconstruct the whole building from the surviving parts of the structure. The photograph shows the apse of the church. The vertical ribbing and hanging arches are characteristic of Lombard architecture.

Vittorio Noto

Bibliography
Guido Di Stefano, "Monumenti della Sicilia Normanna", Palermo, 1979

Photography
Melo Minnella Palermo