Church of S. Maria dello Spasimo
Via dello Spasimo. Erected in the sixteenth century. works began in 1509, but were never completed. In fact, under the threat of the Turkish invasion, a few years later it became necessary to consolidate the defense systems of the city. New walls were built and, around the church, in 1537 a moat was dug right where the convent was to rise. In 1569 the Senate of Palermo bought the complex for military reasons and the monks were moved elsewhere. In 1520 the building, of great importance at that time for the entire Palermo community, was enriched with a priceless masterpiece, the Spasimo di Sicilia painted by Raffaello Sanzio, which depicts Mary's dismay in front of the collapsed Christ under the weight of the cross. After the monks moved, the structure fell into disuse and the then viceroy of Palermo Don Ferdinando D'Ayala gave it to Philip V, King of Spain in exchange for facilities and favors. The painting remained in Spain and is now kept in the Prado Museum in Madrid. In Catania, in the church of San Francesco all'Immacolata, there is a good copy, made on wood in 1541 by Jacopo Vignerio. In 1582 the church was used as a venue for public performances, a kind of first example of a "stable theater" in Italy, but in the following century a plague epidemic made it necessary to use it as a hospital for the sick. After the epidemic, the rooms were used as a granary and warehouse. In the mid-eighteenth century, the vault of the central nave of the church collapsed and will never be rebuilt. From 1855 to 1985, the structure was transformed into a hospice for the poor and a hospital, but the architecture was largely disrupted in order to create rooms for the inmates. In 1985, thanks to the will of citizens and public administrations, the restoration work of the dilapidated structures began. Today the Spasimo hosts cultural events, theatrical and musical performances
Card insertion: Ignazio Caloggero
Photo: web
Information contributions: Web, Region of Sicily
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