Oratorio dei Bianchi

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Oratorio dei Bianchi, side view
Oratorio dei Bianchi, front view

The Oratorio dei Bianchi is a Baroque church building in the Italian city ​​of Palermo .

Building history

The oratory on Via dello Spasimo was built in 1542 by the Brotherhood of the Holy Cross (“Nobile, Primaria e Real Compagnia del SS. Crocifisso”) on the foundations of the Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria. It was named Bianchi because of the white ceremonial clothing that the members of the brotherhood wore when accompanying those sentenced to death on their last walk. Destroyed by the city fire of 1668, the building was rebuilt in its present form a short time later. After a period of decay, the building came to the cultural authority in 1987. After a thorough restoration, it was opened for viewing on the occasion of the Itinerari Serpottiani in 1996.

Furnishing

From 1744 the interior decoration was made in stucco and marble, some frescoes by Antonino Mercurio and rich decorations of the porch by Gaspare Fumagalli have been preserved. The most important piece of equipment is a wooden door of the Arab citadel (Bab el Fotik-della Kalsa), which the Norman Robert Guiscard had to overcome when conquering Palermo in 1071. On the occasion of his victory he named it Porta della Vittoria (Gate of Victory) and had it painted with a “Madonna della Vittoria” .

Oratorio dei Bianchi, wooden door of the Arab citadel Bab el Fotik della Kalsa

In the oratory there are two stucco altars "Madonna Misericordia" and "San Lorenzo", which Giacomo Serpotta created for the "Convent of the Stigmata" in 1703–1704, which had to give way to the Teatro Massimo . The altars are enriched with sculptures and reliefs (Santa Rosalia, putti, angels and various allegories). The panel painting “Descent from the Cross”, formerly painted for the oratorio by Antonio Manno , is now in the Museo Diocesano di Palermo .

Oratorio dei Bianchi, angel with palm, Giacomo Serpotta

literature

  • Donald Garstang: Giacomo Serpotta and the stuccatori of Palermo 1560-1790. A. Zwemmer Ltd., London 1984, ISBN 0-302-00550-1 ( Studies in Architecture 22).
  • Exhibition folder “Itinari Serpottiani” Arti Grafice Giordano. Palermo 1996.
  • Adriana Chirco: Palermo la città ritrovata. Flaccovio, Palermo 2002, ISBN 88-7758-469-6 .
  • Pierfrancesco Palazzotto: Palermo. Guida agli oratori. Confraternite, compagnie e congregazioni dal XVI al XIX secolo . Kalós, Palermo 2004, pp. 167-174 ISBN 88-89224-07-X .

Web links

Commons : Oratorio dei Bianchi (Palermo)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 38 ° 6 ′ 49.1 ″  N , 13 ° 22 ′ 8.6 ″  E