The Ancient Royal and Eminent Basilica Collegiate of Our Lady of the Alms (in italian known as ''Antichissima Regia ed Insigne Basilica Collegiata di Maria Santissima dell'Elemosina''), better known as Basilica della Colleggiata, is a church in

Catania Catania (, , Sicilian and ) is the second largest municipality in Sicily, after Palermo. Despite its reputation as the second city of the island, Catania is the largest Sicilian conurbation, among the largest in Italy, as evidenced also by ...

, Sicily, southern Italy. Finished in 1794, it is an example of Sicilian Baroque.

History

The church was firstly built in the early Middle Ages, but rebuilt in the early 18th century, after the

earthquake of 1693 The 1693 Sicily earthquake struck parts of southern Italy near Sicily, Calabria, and Malta on January 11 at around 21:00 local time. This earthquake was preceded by a damaging foreshock on January 9. The main quake had an estimated magnitude of 7. ...

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 Angelo Italia (8 May 1628 – 5 May 1700) was an Italian Jesuit and Baroque architect, who was born in Licata and died in Palermo. He designed a number of churches in Sicily, and later worked to reconstruct three cities following the 1693 Sic ...

(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 polish architect Stefano Ittar (1724–1790), is one of the most notable examples of late

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

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, 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.

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 A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of religion. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, parsonage, rectory or vicarage. Function A clergy house is typically ow ...

. 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. 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