PALERMO - Chiesa di San Giuseppe dei Teatini

The Order of the Clerics Regular Theatines was founded in 1524 by Gaetano Thiene, Gian Pietro Carafa, Bishop of Chieti (Episcopus Theatinus, from whom the popular name "Theatines" derives), Bonifacio di Colli, and Paolo Consiglieri. In 1602, three Theatine Fathers from Naples were sent to Palermo to establish their rule in the Kingdom of Sicily. Initially established in the sixteenth-century church of Santa Maria della Catena, which they did not significantly modify, in 1603 the Fathers succeeded in creating a new headquarters on Via Maqueda. The layout of the new church, which at the time of its foundation was the largest in the city after the cathedral, followed the usual basilica plan with three naves and a transept, resulting in the so-called "Latin cross" plan. Construction did not begin until January 1612 with the laying of the cornerstone. The frescoes on the vault of the central nave were severely damaged during air raids during World War II and were completely redone, along with the decorative sculptures. The central vault was completely reconstructed thanks to photographic evidence, as was the floor. Inside, on the counterfaçade, two symmetrical "Holy Water Fonts Supported by Angels" are set on the inside wall, flanking the portal. These works are by Ignazio Marabitti on the left and his student Federico Siracusa on the right. The central section is divided by columns with Corinthian capitals supporting twelve arches. The pendentives feature frescoes depicting the twelve apostles, painted by Antonio Manno of Palermo in 1799. The barrel vault rests on the cornice of the central nave, adorned with large gilded stuccoes by Paolo Corso and frescoes by Filippo Tancredi of Messina in 1693, depicting the Apotheosis of Saint Cajetan of Thiene and the Theatine Order and a Cycle of Episodes from the Life of the Saint. The dome is the work of Giuseppe Mariani from Pistoia. The exterior is entirely tiled. The fresco inside the dome, by Guglielmo Borremans, depicts The Fall of the Rebel Angels (1724). The iconographic symbols in the pendentives depict the evangelists, attributed to Antonio Manno or Vincenzo Manno. The base of the high altar, raised five steps from the floor, is made of black marble and inlaid with precious semiprecious stones and bronze ornaments. The Crucifix is ​​made of ivory, the cross of agate and bronze. The altar versus populum features a sumptuous embossed silver frontal from the altar of the underground church of the Madonna della Provvidenza. The presbytery is rich in stucco and paintings by Filippo Tancredi. The frescoes in the apse are the work of Andrea Carrera and Giacinto Calandrucci of Trapani, surrounded by spectacular stucco frames by Domenico Castelli. A dense network of frescoes and stuccoes covers every part of the vault, with the Triumph of the Saints and Blesseds of the Theatine Order at its center. Inside, there is a crypt with an aquifer. The crypt is accessible, but its water is widely believed to be miraculous. This water has now been channeled into a small fountain, accessible from the right nave. Wikipedia Source: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiesa_... IMSLP467653-PMLP4595-09_Concerto_nr_4_-_Allegro_Moderato Performers: Abel Pereira (horn) Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra Miguel Graça Moura (conductor) Publisher Info: AP Records, 2005. Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Filmed with PANASONIC S5II and INSTA360 X4 Shooting date: January 2025 #palermo #sicily #sicilia #italia #italy