Santa Maria dei Miracoli (Saint Mary of the Miracles) is a
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
church located on via dei Miracoli and via dei Cordari, on the island of
Ortigia
Ortygia (; it, Ortigia; grc-gre, Ὀρτυγία) is a small island which is the historical centre of the city of Syracuse, Sicily. The island, also known as the ''Città Vecchia'' (Old City), contains many historical landmarks. The name origi ...
, in the historic city center of
Syracuse
Syracuse may refer to:
Places Italy
*Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa''
*Province of Syracuse
United States
*Syracuse, New York
**East Syracuse, New York
**North Syracuse, New York
*Syracuse, Indiana
* Syracuse, Kansas
*Syracuse, Miss ...
in Sicily, Italy.
Description
The church was built at the site of a prior church dedicated to St George, and the church is also sometimes referred to as ''San Giorgio ai Miracoli''. The new dedication was adopted when icon of the Madonna, housed in the church, was said to have led to the cessation of a season of the plague in 1500–1501. The church was affiliated with the Confraternity ''dei SS. Martiri Crispino e Crispiniano'', patron saints of the
cobblers and
furriers
Fur clothing is clothing made from the preserved skins of mammals. Fur is one of the oldest forms of clothing, and is thought to have been widely used by people for at least 120,000 years. The term 'fur' is often used to refer to a specific i ...
. The church was damaged by the 1693 Sicily earthquake and rebuilt in the following year. It is likely the
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
style main portal dates to prior to the earthquake, with a lunnette with a relief of the Madonna and child with Saints
Roch
Roch (lived c. 1348 – 15/16 August 1376/79 (traditionally c. 1295 – 16 August 1327, also called Rock in English, is a Catholic saint, a confessor whose death is commemorated on 16 August and 9 September in Italy; he is especially invoked a ...
and
Sebastian
Sebastian may refer to:
People
* Sebastian (name), including a list of persons with the name
Arts, entertainment, and media
Films and television
* ''Sebastian'' (1968 film), British spy film
* ''Sebastian'' (1995 film), Swedish drama film
...
. To the left of the entrance is an
aedicula
In ancient Roman religion, an ''aedicula'' (plural ''aediculae'') is a small shrine, and in classical architecture refers to a niche covered by a pediment or entablature supported by a pair of columns and typically framing a statue,"aedicula, n." ...
with a Madonna and Child by
Giovanni della Robbia
image:Saint Sebastian Della Robbia Louvre InvML96.jpg, 250px, ''Saint Sebastian'', Musée du Louvre, Paris.
Giovanni della Robbia (1469–1529) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, mostly in ceramics.
Biography
Giovanni della Robbia was the son o ...
.
[Derived from ''Architettura religiosa in Ortigia'' by Lucia Acerra; published by Ediprint (1995); cited i]
Antonio Randazzo
site describing churches of Syracuse.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maria Miracoli Siracusa
16th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy
17th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy