Abbazia di Santa Maria di Maniace, BronteThe origins of the name of the abbey come from the General
Abbazia di Santa Maria di Maniace, BronteThe origins of the name of the abbey come from the General Georgios Maniakis, sent to Sicily by the Emperor Michael IV the Paphlagonian in 1038. In 1040, after a battle against muslim armies in the near valley, the General built a small church to thank the Virgin for the victory. He donated to the place an icon that the legend says has been painted by Saint Luke of Antioch. In 1173 Margaret of Navarra founded a Benedictine abbey dedicated to the Holy Virgin. William of Blois was the first abbot. In 1799 Ferdinand IV of Bourbon donated the complex of Santa Maria Maniace and granted the title of Duke of Bronte to the Admiral Horatio Nelson as a reward for the intervention of the British navy during the Neapolitan Revolution. Since those times the place is known as Nelson Castle. -- source link
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