The relais Santa Maria del Bosco was originally an ancient abbey, initially built to house Benedictine monks and then passed to the Olivetan Congregation.
The original abbey, probably dating back to the 1300s, was built by a group of hermits who were accused of heresy and lived here until they embraced the Benedictine rule. The monumental complex, completed in the 17th century, is built on four levels around two large cloisters. The first square-shaped cloister, surrounded by 36 columns with Doric capitals interspersed with round arches and niches, has a large Baroque fountain in its center; meanwhile, the second cloister is rectangular, with columns with Doric capitals supporting round arches and with a fountain dating from 1713 in its center.
The abbey, surrounded by about 200 hectares of wooded land, offers unparalleled panoramic views of western Sicily. A Latin-cross plan church, erected between 1643 and 1757, stands between the monastery and the soaring cusped pyramidal bell tower.