San Domenico, also called Santa Maria la Grande is a Roman Catholic church and active convent located on piazza San Domenico in the quartiere di Santa Maria la Grande, 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 ...

, region of Sicily, Italy. The church stands about two blocks north of the church of

Sant'Agata la Vetere Sant’Agata la Vetere is a Roman Catholic church located in the piazza of the same name (along via Santa Maddalena) in Catania, Sicily, southern Italy. East of church and nearby, but facing in the other direction, are two other churches veneratin ...

on via Santa Maddalena. The neoclassical-style, late 17th-century church houses a few prominent altarpieces that survived the 1693 catastrophe in Catania.

History and Description

The Dominican order had arrived to Catania by the 13th century. By 1313 they had a church and convent near the site of the

Castello Ursino Castello Ursino ( scn, Casteddu Ursinu, lit=Bear Castle), also known as Castello Svevo di Catania, is a castle in Catania, Sicily, southern Italy. It was built in the 13th century as a royal castle of the Kingdom of Sicily, and is mostly known fo ...

. Wishing to clear the space adjacent to the castle, by 1405, King

Martin I of Sicily Martin I of Sicily (c. 1374/1376 – 25 July 1409), called "The Younger", was King of Sicily from his marriage to Queen Maria in 1390 until his death. Martin's father was the future King Martin I of Aragon, and his grandparents were King Peter ...

, had the monastery razed, and the priests were granted a palace seized from Blasco de Alagona, and the adjacent church at this site called ''Santa Maria la Grande'', dedicated to the Marian veneration of Santa Maria ad Nives centered around

Santa Maria Maggiore The Basilica of Saint Mary Major ( it, Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, ; la, Basilica Sanctae Mariae Maioris), or church of Santa Maria Maggiore, is a Major papal basilica as well as one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome and the larges ...

in Rome. A convent was completed by 1640. This church and convent were severely damaged by the

1693 earthquake 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. ...

, and reconstruction began in the next century with the patronage of Vincenzo Paterno Castello. In 1866, the order was suppressed and the former convent, found to the right of the church facade, was used by the military. After having the buildings restored to the Dominicans, in 1904 the monks built in a new convent wing behind the church. In the city of Catania, there was a second Dominican convent, this one for women, dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria. On the architrave over the portal in a stone statue of the blessed

Bernardo Scammacca Bernardo Scammacca, OP (1430 – 11 January 1487) was an Italian Catholic priest and member of the Order of Preachers. After leading a dissolute early life, his conversion after a sustaining a wound from a duel led him down the path toward religi ...

, by

Epifanio Licata Susa y Epifanio are a comedic duo of fictional characters from Puerto Rico. They hosted the radio program ''Prende El Fogón'' on WSKN-AM in San Juan, and the weekday television program ''El Fogón TV'' on WORO-DT in Carolina. They also make fre ...

. The architect and timing of the construction of the church is unclear, but appears later than most churches in town. The interior has a central nave and two aisles with mainly bare pilasters. The altarpieces include prominent works. One altarpiece on the ''Madonna or the Rosary with Dominican Saints'' by

Matteo Ragonisi Portrait of Pietro Barrabini Matteo Ragonisi (27 February 1660 - 13 April 1734) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, mainly active in the native town of Acireale in Sicily. Biography He painted both portraits and altarpieces in a provin ...

. Another depicts the ''Virgin and Child and Saints Dominic and Catherine holding the Rosary and Crown of Thorns'' by

Giacinto Platania Giacinto Platania (Acireale, circa 1612 - 1691) was an Italian painter. Biography He first trained with his father Antonio, who in 1630 painted a ''Guardian Angel'' for the Cathedral of Acireale. Platania left record of the 1669 Etna eruption, ...

. Among the saints depicted are Saint

Agnese di Montepulciano Agnes of Montepulciano (28 January 1268 – 20 April 1317) was a Dominican prioress in medieval Tuscany, who was known as a miracle worker during her lifetime. She is honored as a saint by the Catholic Church. Life Agnes was born in 1268 in ...

, Beato Benedetto XI, Beato

Ambrogio Sansedoni Ambrose of Sienna was an Italian Dominican teacher, missionary and diplomat. Biography Ambrose was born at Siena on 16 April 1220, to the noble family of Sansedoni. When he was around a year old, Ambrose was cured of a congenital deformity, in ...

, San Giacinto di Polonia, San Ludovico Bertrand, St Peter Martyr, Santa

Rosa da Lima Rose of Lima (born Isabel Flores de Oliva; 20 April 1586 24 August 1617) was a member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic in Lima, Peru, who became known for both her life of severe penance and her care of the poverty stricken of the city throu ...

, St Thomas Aquinas, San Pio V, Sant'

Antonino Pierozzi Antoninus of Florence (1 March 13892 May 1459), was an Italian Dominican friar, who ruled as an archbishop of Florence. He is venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church. Life He was born Antonio Pierozzi (also called de Forciglioni) on 1 Marc ...

. In the left nave, one chapel has an altarpiece with the ''Madonna, St John, and the Magdalen grieving at the Cross'' by

Alessandro Vasta Alessandro is both a given name and a surname, the Italian form of the name Alexander. Notable people with the name include: People with the given name Alessandro * Alessandro Allori (1535–1607), Italian portrait painter * Alessandro Baricco ...

. Another chapel has a depiction of ''Miracle of St Raimondo de Penafort crossing the Sea'', ''Saint Catherine talks to the Doctors'', and ''St Thomas Aquinas dedicates his work to the Virgin''. There is a ''Pentecost'' and a ''Vision of Pope Innocent III regarding the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano'' attributed to Platania.Tratto da "Il racconto dellArte" di Alfonso Sciacca, Editore: Bohémien, 2008
Fondoambiente Italia

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Domenico Catania 18th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Roman Catholic churches in Catania