On the wall we have a sequence of five holy figures, partly destroyed by the construction of a large arch, opened in an unknown historical period. The figures, dated 13th century, are depicted as Byzantine icons, facing the devoted people. As a kind of polyptych, each single figure is enclosed in a double red and white frame and stands on a background divided into three chromatic fields, according to the blue/ochre/blue scheme. The Madonna figure is an exception, depicted, in the saved space, on a fully blue backdrop.

The figures, differing in clothing, are characterized by the aureole, a gesture and the abbreviated onomastic inscriptions, in the Greek alphabet, which allow their identification. From left to right we can see:

• SAINT ELISABETH · S(AN)C(T)A HELISABET, in a prayerful position
• MATER DOMINI · MAT(ER) ODI/GHIDRIA, “the one who indicates the way”, the Byzantine name of the Madonna and Child
• SAINT LEONARD · S(ANCTUS) LEONARDU[S], with the chain that reminds us his protector role of the innocent prisoners
• SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST · S(ANCTUS) IOH(ANNES)S BATISTA, who holds a scroll with the traditional wording “ECCE/ AGNUS / DEI ECC(E) / QUI TOL/LIT PEC/CATA MU/N[D]I ”
• SAINT BISHOP · unidentified, with a blessing hand

The inscriptions are in rilief, as well as the "beaded" decorations, which enrich the garments and headgear of all the figures. In the area above the last two icons on the right, we can see a layer of an older fresco, representing the same holy figures.

THE PRESERVATION STATE AND THE RESTORATION OF THE FRESCO

Thanks to the synergy between the“Lentini nel Cuore” committee and the Chiesa Madre Santa Maria La Cava e Sant'Alfio, in 2017 the Rupestrian Church of the Crucifix has been
selected among 24 places to save by the“I Luoghi del Cuore” (Places I love) project, promoted by FAI - Fondo Ambiente Italiano, in collaboration with Intesa Sanpaolo Bank.
“The five Saints” were in a very bad state of conservation and in danger of disappearing.

The restoration, co-funded by the Chiesa Madre, has removed the deterioration factors and allowed the recovery of the paintings, in order to make them available to the
visitors.

The diagnostic analysis has identified the main deterioration agent: saline encrustations, that not only conceal the frescoes with a patina, but also causes chemical-physical and
mechanical damages to the supporting plaster and to the pictorial film, provoking cracks, swellings and detachments of the painting from the wall support, up to the falling of color parts.

The cleaning action, particularly delicate due to the different thickness of salt concretions, has highlighted the execution phases of the fresco and rediscovered hidden pictorial details. The consolidation work was performed right after, both to ensure the adhesion of the plaster to the rock and to attach the pictorial film. The gaps present on all the surface, eventually due to the presence of the previous layer of fresco, which have caused a minor adherence of the new frescos, have been integrated with the chromatic selection technique, in order to restore uniformity and readability to the two pictorial cycles. On the right side, next to the saints John the Baptist and an anonymous Bishop, you can see two additional underlying figures, dated to the 12th century, with a similar iconographic subject. At the conclusion of the restoration, it has been installed a system to monitor the microclimate - very important in the humid environment of the cave - and a mechanical ventilation during the coldest hours, to avoid condensation problems.

The restoration has been performed by Dr. R. D'Amico in cooperation with Dr. B. Di Natale and Dr. R. Gagliano Candela. The technical-scientific investigations have been performed by Prof. G. Montana and Dr. L. Randazzo of the DiSTeM, University of Palermo and by Dr. R. Giarrusso and Dr. A. Mulone of Geolab srl.