Santa Cita (Palermo)
The Santa Cita is a Baroque church in Palermo .
Building history
The original church was donated by a merchant from Lucca together with a hospital in the 14th century and was consecrated to the Tuscan saint Zita. Another foundation in 1428 made it possible to enlarge the church, which was completed in 1458. Between 1583 and 1603 the architect Giuseppe Giacalone renovated the building under the supervision of the nearby Dominican monastery. The church near the port was financed by merchants from Pisa who had settled here. The facade could not be completed until 1781. The church was badly damaged by a bombardment during the Second World War in 1943, only the transept and presbytery remained undamaged. Since the side aisles could not be restored, the former three-aisle facility was converted into a single-aisle hall structure. In 1952 the church could be reopened. The rather unadorned facade is structured by pilasters , between which two figural reliefs adorn the wall in the lower part. At the top, the facade is closed by a flat triangular gable.
Furnishing
Due to the effects of the war, a large part of the furnishings was lost, including some important sculptures by Antonello Gagini from the period between 1517 and 1527. The marble tribuna from Gagini with scenic representations and the sarcophagus for Antonio Scirotta have been preserved. The altarpiece “Santa Agnese da Montepulciano” (1603) is by Filippo Paladini . To the right of the presbytery is the Cappella del Rosario, which is decorated with colored marble mosaic and stucco. The figurative reliefs, such as the “Flagellation of Christ”, come from Gioacchino Vitagliano . Frescoes by Pietro Aquila with the “Mysteries of the Rosary” adorn the ceiling. A marble pieta attributed to Giorgio da Milano is outstanding . To the left of the church is the Oratorio del Rosario di Santa Cita with important stucco decorations by Giacomo Serpotta .
literature
- 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, ISBN 88-89224-07-X .
Web links
Coordinates: 38 ° 7 '15.7 " N , 13 ° 21' 48.6" E