Chiesa di San Leone - Segesta

The small single-nave church, originally covered with a barrel vault, was built in 1442 by residents of Calatafimi, in a now uninhabited area of Monte Barbaro; it was probably a rural chapel, frequented by shepherds , dedicated to San Leone. The chapel was no longer used at the end of the 16th century and fell into disrepair in the early 19th century.

Recent excavations have shown that the chapel was built on the ruins of an earlier, larger church, whose basilical plan with three naves ending in apses can be compared with other churches of the Norman and Norman-Swabian periods, dating from the late 12th - early 13th century. This church belonged to the medieval settlement that can now be found throughout the area of ancient Segesta. Outside the church is a cemetery with simple graves dug into the ground, lined and covered with stone slabs.

Willem Vandenameele