According to tradition, the church was founded by Roger the Norman in the 12th century. Annexed to it are a 16th-century courtyard and the Hall of the Congregation of Purgatory, established in 1517. In 1682, based on a design by the local priest and architect Matteo Gebbia, reconstruction of the church began and was completed in 1688. Towards the end of the 18th century the interior was enriched with stuccoes, frescoes, and paintings by Antonio and Vincenzo Manno.[1]
The church was reopened in the summer of 2008 following restoration works.[2]
Architecture
The church is built on a Latin cross and has three naves delimited by Tuscan columns. Its façade, preceded by a short staircase, is austere but with a sumptuous portal, which is baroque and richly decorated; above it rises a bell gable.[3][1] A decorated niche in the portal contains a half-bust of Saint Martin.
Artworks
The church houses several paintings and sculptures, notably a monumental wooden statue of Saint Martin on horseback, which depicts the moment when the saint divides his cloak with a poor man. The work, in carved, gilded and painted wood, dates to the mid-16th century and is attributed to the Ericine sculptor Curatolo. It was restored in the early 21st century and reinstated in the church in 2013, together with original liturgical furnishings such as the candlesticks and finials of the high altar and a restored thurible.[4] The church is described as a repository of works of art ranging from the 15th to the 19th centuries.[4]
Gallery
Entrance door
Floor tiles
Baroque masonry
References
1 2 "San Martino". Erice la Montagna del Signore. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
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