Monastery of San Salvatore

In 1290, the Count Enrico Chiaramonte was charged with murder and high treason and then later acquitted by King Carlo d'Anjou. To thank the king, he decided to transform the palace where he lived in exile into a monastery dedicated to San Salvador. This brought the first Benedictine monks to Erice. The original complex was of modest size, and was expanded in the year 1588 to house 50 monks. They came from noble families and because they contributed their wealth, the monastery became very important. Of the early church that was founded in the early fourteenth century, only a few pieces of the original walls remain, which can be seen in some frescoes dating from 1302.