The Abbey of San Martino delle Scale is a Benedictine monastery and church located in the hills a few kilometers northwest of

Monreale Monreale (; ; Sicilian: ''Murriali'') is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Palermo, in Sicily, southern Italy. It is located on the slope of Monte Caputo, overlooking the very fertile valley called ''"La Conca d'oro"'' (the Golde ...

, region of Sicily, Italy. Putatively founded in the 7th-century, but destroyed by the Saracens, it was refounded in 1347. Most of the present structures date to the 17th and 18th-centuries, including a large refurbishment by the architect

Giuseppe Venanzio Marvuglia Giuseppe Venanzio Marvuglia (6 February 1729 – 19 December 1814) was an Italian architect. Biography Marvuglia received his first training in his native Palermo. This was followed by a stay in Rome from 1747 to 1759. By the end of his time ...

. The ''Abbazia'' or abbey is located in between Monte Cuccio and Monte Caputo. Putatively founded during the rule of Pope Gregory the Great, a monastery at the site was destroyed by the Saracens. The monastery, dedicated to St

Martin of Tours Martin of Tours ( la, Sanctus Martinus Turonensis; 316/336 – 8 November 397), also known as Martin the Merciful, was the third bishop of Tours. He has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints in France, heralded as the ...

, was reformulated in 1347 with 6 monks from the Monastery of San Nicola near Mount Etna. Among the first monks was the blessed Angelo Sinisio, the first abbott, who helped commission the first monastic buildings. The church was decorated with works by Pietro Novelli,

Filippo Paladini Filippo Paladino (1544 -1614) was an Italian painter. Biography He was born near Florence in Tuscany and remained there until circa 1586 when he was imprisoned and subsequently exiled to Malta. From there, he moved to Sicily where he was active ...

, Zoppo di Gangi, Paolo de Matteis,

Mattias Stomer Mattias is a masculine given name found most prominently in Northern Europe. It is a cognate of Matthew and Matthias, and may refer to: Sports * Mattias Adelstam (born 1982), Swedish footballer * Mattias Asper (born 1974), Swedish goalkeeper ...

and others. The intricately carved wooden choir stalls were completed by the early 18th century. The ''fontana dell’Oreto'' and the sculptural depiction of St Martin on horseback were carved by Ignazio Marabitti. Nearly abandoned after the suppression of the orders in 1866, the abbey is still a benedictine monastery.Benedictine order
description.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martino Scale Benedictine monasteries in Italy Monasteries in Sicily Churches in the metropolitan city of Palermo