Immacolata Concezione al Capo

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Immacolata Concezione al Capo

The Chiesa Immacolata Concezione al Capo is an early Baroque church building on Via Porta Carini al Capo in Palermo .

In 1569 the noblewoman Laura Barbera Ventimiglia donated a Benedictine monastery with some latifundia at the traditional “Capo” market in Palermo . The construction of the church "Immacolata Concezione" (Immaculate Conception) based on a design by Antonio Muttone followed in 1604 under the direction of the "royal architect and military engineer" Orazio lo Nobile (died 1610). The construction was not completed until 1738. In 1825 the monastery buildings came to the Senate of Palermo, in 1864 they were converted into a hospital and finally demolished in 1932 to make room for the Palace of Justice, so that today the church is somewhat isolated. The founder Laura Barbera Ventimiglia found her final resting place in the church.

The facade is structured by pilasters , beams and a mighty portal with horizontal roofing and stylistically follows the counter-Reformation Roman early Baroque, for example a Giacomo della Porta (around 1533–1602).

The simple exterior does not allow any conclusions to be drawn about the lavishly decorated interior. The 30.20 × 10.30 m single-nave room is flanked by eight chapels, the vestibule with the ornate iron grille was designed by Paolo Amato in 1584 .

From 1721 Giacomo Amato and Gaetano Lazzara (active 1700–1731) richly decorated the walls of the nave, built in the style of the late Renaissance, with colored marble, elaborate stucco work, lavishly decorated, twisted columns and 16 life-size pillars (left statues of Saint Benedictines: Anselmo , Uberto, Lolario and Agatone; in front of the main altar: St. Scholastica, St. Benedict, St. Maurus, St. Gertrude, on the right side San Idelfano, Santa Barbara, San Pietro Damiano, St. Hugo.)

The choir is crowned by an octagonal dome, the vaulted ceiling is decorated with frescoes "The Triumph of the Religious Orders" by Olivio Sozzi (around 1740), which are framed with gilded stucco.

The left “Cappella della Madonna Libera Infermi” was decorated around 1635 with sculptural decoration by the sculptor Vincenzo Guercio (the father of Gaspare Guercio ). The right “Cappella di Santa Rosalia i di San Benedetto” shows a large painting “Saint Benedict destroys idols” (1775) by Giuseppe Velasco .

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Coordinates: 38 ° 7 '5.8 "  N , 13 ° 21' 14.9"  E