The Ancient Royal and Eminent Basilica Collegiate of Our Lady of the Alms (in

italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

known as ''Antichissima Regia ed Insigne Basilica Collegiata di Maria Santissima dell'Elemosina''), better known as Basilica della Colleggiata, is a church in Catania,

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

, southern

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. Finished in 1794, it is an example of

Sicilian Baroque Sicilian Baroque is the distinctive form of Baroque architecture which evolved on the island of Sicily, off the southern coast of Italy, in the , when it was part of the Spanish Empire. The style is recognisable not only by its typical Baroque c ...

History

The church was firstly built in the early Middle Ages, but rebuilt in the early 18th century, after the earthquake of 1693 that had destroyed most of the city. The church was elevated to a collegiate church by Pope

Eugenius IV Pope Eugene IV ( la, Eugenius IV; it, Eugenio IV; 1383 – 23 February 1447), born Gabriele Condulmer, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 3 March 1431 to his death in February 1447. Condulmer was a Venetian, and ...

Architecture

The design of the church is attributed to Angelo Italia (1628–1700), who changed the orientation of the previous edifice destroyed by the earthquake, in order to have it facing the new via Uzeda (current Etnea Street) according to the new urban plan for the city. The façade, designed by the

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architect

Stefano Ittar Stefano Ittar (March 15, 1724 - January 18, 1790) was a Polish-Italian architect. Biography Ittar was born in Owrucz (then in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, now in Ukraine), where his father, a member of one of Italy's aristocratic fa ...

(1724–1790), is one of the most notable examples of late Baroque in Catania. The facade has two orders, the first of which featuring six stone columns, surmounted by a balustrade. The second order has a large central window, with, at the sides, four large statues of St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Agatha and St. Apollonia. Over the second floor is a central element housing the bells. The second floor utilizes pilasters instead of columns. The church is accessed through a large staircase on which, delimiting the

parvise A parvis or parvise is the open space in front of and around a cathedral or church, especially when surrounded by either colonnades or porticoes, as at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. It is thus a church-specific type of forecourt, front yard or a ...

, is a wrought iron parapet. In the south corner of the church, abutting the apse on via Manzoni, is a small two retail outlet building, Negozio Frigeri, designed in 1909 by Tommaso Malerba in

Liberty style Liberty style ( it, Stile Liberty) was the Italian variant of Art Nouveau, which flourished between about 1890 and 1914. It was also sometimes known as ''stile floreale'', ''arte nuova'', or ''stile moderno''. It took its name from Arthur Lasenby ...

Interior

The interior follows a common basilica plan, with a nave and two aisles divided by two pilasters, and three apses. The central apse is rather elongated to house the rectory. The right aisle is home to a baptistery and three altars each with an altarpiece honoring a specific saint. At the end of the aisle is the altar dedicated to the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception, preceded by a marble balaustrade. Above is a marble statue depicting this Marian veneration. In the apse of the nave is the high altar, with an icon of the Virgin with a Child, a copy of a Byzantine original in the sanctuary of

Biancavilla Biancavilla () is a town and '' comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Catania, Sicily, southern Italy. It is located between the towns of Adrano and S. Maria di Licodia, northwest of Catania. The town was founded and historically inhabited by t ...

. Behind the altar are an 18th-century wooden organ and a wooden choir. The left aisle, in the apse area, houses the Holy Sacrament Chapel, with a polychrome marble altar. The vaults and the dome were frescoed in 1896 by Giuseppe Sciuti with scenes of the ''Life of Mary, Angels and Saints''. An inventory from 1847, names an altarpiece depicting ''Sant'Apollonia'' by Olivio Sozzi.Descrizione di Catania e delle cose notevoli nei dintorni de essa
edited by Francesco Paternò Castello, page 168. Santa Maria dell'Elemosina (Catania) 23 01 2020 16.jpg, Santa Maria dell'Elemosina (Catania) 23 01 2020 13.jpg, Santa Maria dell'Elemosina (Catania) 23 01 2020 14.jpg, Santa Maria dell'Elemosina (Catania) 23 01 2020 06.jpg,

Right Nave

Santa Maria dell'Elemosina (Catania) 23 01 2020 10.jpg, Santa Maria dell'Elemosina (Catania) 23 01 2020 07.jpg, Santa Maria dell'Elemosina (Catania) 23 01 2020 22.jpg,

Left Nave

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References

Sources

* * {{Catania landmarks Roman Catholic churches completed in 1768 Baroque architecture in Catania Collegiata Minor basilicas in Sicily 1768 establishments in Italy 18th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy