What is "santoni"

The Santoni are a collection of statues carved into a rock face near Palazzolo Acreide, the ancient Akrai, in Sicily.

The statues are the remains of a sanctuary for one of the most mysterious cults of antiquity, the cult of Magna Mater. Although very badly preserved, the site is unique for its scale and for the completeness of the sculptures. It is believed to have been the principal centre of the cult of the goddess Cybele in Sicily.

For stylistic reasons and as a result of archaeological discoveries in the surrounding area, the sanctuary has been dated by scholars to around the fourth or third centuries BC.

Santoni is the surname of:

• Dante Santoni (born 1960), member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
• Elisa Santoni, silver medalist in gymnastics at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's rhythmic group all-around
• Félix Santoni, Puerto Rican politician and senator (1917-1920)
• François Santoni, suspected of being one of the leaders of Armata Corsa, a defunct separatist terrorist organization in Corsica
• Joël Santoni (born 1943), French film director and screenwriter
• Michael Santoni, Jr., professional wrestler under the ring name Big Guido
• Nicola Santoni (born 1979), Italian former football goalkeeper
• Reni Santoni (born 1939), American film, television and voice actor