The church and collage of the Santissima Annunziata dei Teatini was a

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

structure designed by the Theatine priest and architect

Guarino Guarini Camillo Guarino Guarini (17 January 1624 – 6 March 1683) was an Italian architect of the Piedmontese Baroque, active in Turin as well as Sicily, France, and Portugal. He was a Theatine priest, mathematician, and writer.. Biography Guarini wa ...

in the center of

Messina Messina (, also , ) is a harbour city and the capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of more than 219,000 inhabitants in ...

, region of Sicily, Italy; the entire buildings were demolished after the

1908 Messina earthquake The 1908 Messina earthquake (also known as the 1908 Messina and Reggio earthquake) occurred on 28 December in Sicily and Calabria, southern Italy with a moment magnitude of 7.1 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (''Extreme''). The epicen ...

, and part of the site includes the present church of Sant'Antonio Abate.

History

Theatine priest arrived in Messina by 1607. Initially linked to the distinct ancient church of Santissima Annunziata dei Catalani. Circa 1660, the Piedmontese theatine priest and architect was commissioned for designs for the church and adjacent college. The facade designed by Guarini is complex with a three-story concave front. The first floor pilasters were

Corinthian order The Corinthian order (Greek: Κορινθιακός ρυθμός, Latin: ''Ordo Corinthius'') is the last developed of the three principal classical orders of Ancient Greek architecture and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric order ...

, the upper stories are more

Doric Doric may refer to: * Doric, of or relating to the Dorians of ancient Greece ** Doric Greek, the dialects of the Dorians * Doric order, a style of ancient Greek architecture * Doric mode, a synonym of Dorian mode * Doric dialect (Scotland) * Doric ...

in style. The facade ripples with friezes and the narrowing stories are linked by ripples of volutes. The second story central tympanum is interrupted and traverses into the upper story. The belltower is hexagonal in layout. A guide from 1852 describes the nave ceiling frescoes were painted by

Filippo Tancredi Filippo Tancredi (1655–1722) was an Italian painter. Biography He was born in Messina to a minor painter and his mother, who was sister of the painter Filippo Giannetto.Giuseppe Paladino. Around the altar and in the chapel of San Gregorio, were frescoes by

Andrea Suppa Andrea Suppa (1628 in Messina, Sicily – 1671) was an Italian painter and architect. He trained in Messina under Bartolomeo Tricomi and later under the Flemish painter Abraham Casembroot Abraham Casembroot (before 1593 in Bruges? – 1658 in ...

. The altarpiece of the chapel of the Crucifixion was painted by Giovanni Fulco. The walls of the nave were painted in fresco by

Giovanni Tuccari Giovanni Tuccari (1667–1743) was an Italian painter during the Baroque period, active in Sicily. Tuccari was born in Messina. He was the son and pupil of Antonio Tuccari, an obscure painter. He excelled as a battle painter. He died of the ...

.Dizionario Corografico del Regno di Sicilia
compiled by Cav. Ferdinando de Luca and Raffaele Mastriani, Milan, published by Stabilimento di Civelli Giuseppe e Comp. (1852); page 143. All these works were lost with the earthquake.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Annunziata Teatini Messina Roman Catholic churches in Messina Baroque architecture in Sicily Baroque church buildings in Sicily