The Church of San Matteo al Cassaro (; ) is a

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

-style, Roman Catholic church of

Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...

, region of Sicily, Italy. It is located in the main street of the city, the ancient Cassaro now Corso Vittorio Emanuele, in the quarter of the

Loggia In architecture, a loggia ( , usually , ) is a covered exterior Long gallery, gallery or corridor, often on an upper level, sometimes on the ground level of a building. The corridor is open to the elements because its outer wall is only parti ...

, about a block east of the

Quattro Canti Quattro Canti, officially known as Piazza Vigliena, is a Baroque square in Palermo, region of Sicily, Italy; it is considered the center of the historic quarters of the city. The site is the intersection of two major streets in Palermo, the Via Ma ...

, within the historic centre of Palermo. The church was built between 1633 and 1664 by the will of the ''Miseremini'' confraternity, dedicated to prayers for souls in

Purgatory In Christianity, Purgatory (, borrowed into English language, English via Anglo-Norman language, Anglo-Norman and Old French) is a passing Intermediate state (Christianity), intermediate state after physical death for purifying or purging a soul ...

. The building was probably designed by the architect of the Senate of Palermo,

Mariano Smiriglio Mariano Smiriglio (1561–1636) was a Sicilian architect, painter and decorator, active in a Mannerist-Sicilian Baroque style in his native Palermo. He was born in Palermo, and started as a painter at the school of Filippo Paladini, then he wo ...

, but was completed by

Gaspare Guercio Gaspare Guercio (1611 - 1670/1679) was an Italian artist, nicknamed 'Guercio' and a major proponent of the Sicilian Baroque. He was principally a sculptor but also a designer of decorative schemes for architectural projects. He collaborated wi ...

and Carlo D'Aprile. It is decorated with many works of important Sicilian artists like

Vito D'Anna Vito D'Anna (14 October 1718 – 13 October 1769) was an Italian painter, considered the most prominent painter of Palermitan rococo and one of the most important artists of Sicily. Biography He was the father of Alessandro D'Anna, the brother- ...

Pietro Novelli Pietro Novelli (March 2, 1603 – August 27, 1647) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active mainly in Palermo. Also known as ''il Monrealese'' or ''Pietro "Malta" Novelli'' to distinguish him from his father, Pietro Antonio Novelli I ...

Giacomo Serpotta Giacomo Serpotta (10 March 1656 – 27 February 1732) was an Italian sculptor, active in a Rococo style and mainly working in stucco. Biography Serpotta was born and died in Palermo; and may have never left Sicily. His skill and facility with st ...

, Giuseppe Testa (painter), Bartolomeo Sanseverino, Filippo Randazzo, Antonio Manno, Francesco Sozzi. The church is also connected to the palermitan legend of the Beati Paoli.

Gallery

File:Vito D'Anna Trionfo Anime Chiesa San Matteo Palermo.jpg, ''Triumph of the Souls in Purgatory'' (vault) by

File:Pietro Novelli - Marriage of the Virgin - WGA16597.jpg, ''Marriage of the Virgin'' by

File:San Matteo al Cassaro - facciata2.JPG, Facade, sculptures of Carlo D'Aprile File:San Matteo al Cassaro - cupola2.JPG, The dome, interior

References

External links

Gaspare Palermo, ''Guida istruttiva per potersi conoscere tutte le magnificenze della Città di Palermo'', Volume I, Palermo, Reale Stamperia, 1816
Matteo Baroque architecture in Palermo 17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy {{Sicily-RC-church-stub