Nave - Santa Maria della Catena - Palermo - Italy 2015 (2)

Santa Maria della Catena 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 in the Piazza Dogana, now sandwiched between Strada Statale 113 and Via Vittorio Emanuele, located in the harbor-hugging quarter of Castellammare in

Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , 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 ...

, region of Sicily,

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

History

The church was built in 1490-1520, putatively designed by

Matteo Carnilivari Matteo Carnilivari or Carnelivari was an Italian architect active mainly from 1487 to 1493 in Palermo, Sicily. Biography The notable architect of 15th-century Sicily is known for works that show the influences of International Gothic with Norm ...

. The tag ''of the chain'' (Italian: ''

catena Catena (Latin for chain) or catenae (plural) may refer to: Science * ''Catena'' (fly), a genus in the family Tachinidae *Catena (linguistics) is a unit of syntax and morphology, closely associated with dependency grammars * Catena (computing), nu ...

'') derives from the presence, on one of the walls, of a chain which closed the Cala port. The chains were putatively originally a prize acquired from the defeat of a marauding Pisan fleet. The architecture of the church mixes late Renaissance style and Gothic-Catalan style, the latter especially visible in the three-part arcaded

loggia In architecture, a loggia ( , usually , ) is a covered exterior gallery or corridor, usually on an upper level, but sometimes on the ground level of a building. The outer wall is open to the elements, usually supported by a series of columns ...

located at the top of the entry staircase (added in 1845). The interior is also late Gothic, and includes a canvas depicting ''Nativity with Adoration of the Shepherds'' (17th century) by an unknown master, and 16th-century bas-reliefs attributed to

Vincenzo Vincenzo is an Italian male given name, derived from the Latin name Vincentius (the verb ''vincere'' means to win or to conquer). Notable people with the name include: Art * Vincenzo Amato (born 1966), Italian actor and sculptor *Vincenzo Bell ...

and

Antonello Gagini Antonello Gagini (1478–1536) was an Italian sculptor of the Renaissance, mainly active in Sicily and Calabria. Antonello belonged to a family of sculptors and artisans, originally from Northern Italy, but active throughout Italy, including Gen ...

, who also sculpted the capitals of the columns and the entrance portals. Traces of frescoes by

Olivio Sozzi Olivio may refer to: * Olivio (restaurant), Dutch Michelin starred restaurant People * Olívio Dutra Olívio de Oliveira Dutra (born 10 June 1941 in Bossoroca, Rio Grande do Sul) is a Brazilian politician. He is a founding member of the Wor ...

remain in one of the chapels. Annexed to the church is a 1602 convent house, which in 1844 was converted into a state archive.

Notes

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External links

Santa Maria della Catena
Roman Catholic churches completed in 1520 Maria della Catena Maria della Catena Gothic architecture in Palermo Maria della Catena 1520 establishments in Italy Theatine churches