The Church of Saint Anne the Mercy ( or simply ) is a
Baroque
The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
church of
Palermo
Palermo ( ; ; , 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 province. The ...
. It is located in the area of the ancient market of Lattarini, in the quarter of the
Kalsa
Kalsa or Mandamento Tribunali is a historical quarter of the Italian city of Palermo in Sicily. It is sometimes referred to as la Kalsa or the Kalsa.
Names
The common name of the quarter, ''Kalsa'', derives from the district's historic Arabic ...
The complex of Sant'Anna, including the church and a convent, was built in a zone formerly occupied by an unhealthy inlet, circumscribed by cliffs and filled by alluvial deposits of the former Kemonia river, which dried up a four centuries ago. In the period of the
Sicilian Vespers
The Sicilian Vespers (; ) was a successful rebellion on the island of Sicily that broke out at Easter 1282 against the rule of the French-born king Charles I of Anjou. Since taking control of the Kingdom of Sicily in 1266, the Capetian House ...
the area housed the residence of Joanne De Saint Remy, collaborator of
Charles of Anjou
Charles I (early 1226/12277 January 1285), commonly called Charles of Anjou or Charles d'Anjou, was King of Sicily from 1266 to 1285. He was a member of the royal Capetian dynasty and the founder of the House of Anjou-Sicily. Between 1246 a ...
.
In the 16th century, a chapel dedicated to ''Our Lady Of Pity'' is recorded in the so-called “Contrada della Misericordia”. In this chapel Tommaso de Vigilia painted a fresco of the
Pietà
The Pietà (; meaning "pity", "compassion") is a subject in Christian art depicting the Mary (mother of Jesus), Blessed Virgin Mary cradling the mortal body of Jesus Christ after his Descent from the Cross. It is most often found in sculpture. ...
. Over time the popular devotion to this icon increased. In 1596 a structure located near the chapel and used as granary was converted into a place of worship. The fresco was hung in this new temple. In 1597 the convent was built.
Since the chapel was too small for the liturgical needs, the authorities of Palermo decided to enlarge the building with patronage from the noble families and the community. The architectural project was made by the senatorial architect
Mariano Smiriglio
Mariano Smiriglio (1561–1636) was a Sicilian architect, painter and decorator, active in a Mannerist-Sicilian Baroque style in his native Palermo.
He was born in Palermo, and started as a painter at the school of Filippo Paladini, then he wo ...
. On 26 October 1606 the groundbreaking was launched. The church was completed in 1632 and consecrated on 13 November 1639 by the bishop of
Agrigento
Agrigento (; or ) is a city on the southern coast of Sicily, Italy and capital of the province of Agrigento.
Founded around 582 BC by Greek colonists from Gela, Agrigento, then known as Akragas, was one of the leading cities during the golden ...
Francesco Traina. The temple was dedicated to
Saint Anne
According to apocrypha, as well as Christianity, Christian and Islamic tradition, Saint Anne was the mother of Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary, the wife of Joachim and the maternal grandmother of Jesus. Mary's mother is not named in the Bible's Gosp ...
, mother of
Mary
Mary may refer to:
People
* Mary (name), a female given name (includes a list of people with the name)
Religion
* New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below
* Mary, mother of Jesus, also called the Blesse ...
, becoming known as Sant'Anna la Misericordia.
Over the centuries the church was damaged on several occasions by earthquakes. In 1726, the earthquake of
Terrasini
Terrasini is a international touristic centre most popular in Sicily. It is a ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Palermo on the island of Sicily in Italy.
Data
Terrasini is located west of Palermo at the motorway between Palermo and Trap ...
toppled the façade. The current baroque façade was designed by Giovanni Biagio Amico.
After the
unification of Italy
The unification of Italy ( ), also known as the Risorgimento (; ), was the 19th century Political movement, political and social movement that in 1861 ended in the Proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, annexation of List of historic states of ...
, the church and the convent were confiscated by the state. For several years the complex was used as granary. In 1925 the church and a portion of the convent returned into the possession of the friars. Today the former convent is part of the
Galleria d'Arte Moderna Palermo
The Modern Art Gallery of Palermo (Italian language, Italian: Galleria d'Arte Moderna Palermo) is a civic art gallery of Palermo, displaying works from the 19th until the early 20th century, located on Via Sant'Anna #21, adjacent to the church o ...
, a museum of Italian art from the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Art
Paintings
Oil on canvas:
* ''Annunciation of Saint Anne'',
Elia Interguglielmi
Elia Interguglielmi (1746 – 16 May 1835) was an Italian painter of the Neoclassical style, active in Naples and Palermo.
Biography
Elia Interguglielmi was born in Naples in 1746. He initially worked under Gaspare Fumagalli in Palermo. He is ...
* ''Saint Anne teaching Mary'', Elia Interguglielmi
* ''Saint Nicholas in Glory'', Elia Interguglielmi
* ''Holy Family with Saint Anne and Saint Joachim'',
Melchiorre Barresi Melchiorre may refer to:
As first name
*Melchiorre Cafà (1636–1667), Maltese sculptor
*Melchiore Cesarotti (1730–1808), Italian poet
*Melchiorre Delfico (caricaturist) (1825–1895), Italian caricaturist
*Melchiorre Delfico (economist) (1744 ...
* ''Blessed William of Scicli'',
Leonardo Bazzano
Leonardo or The Leonardo may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* '' Leonardo Journal'', an arts journal
* ''Leonardo'' (Italian magazine), a philosophy magazine published in Florence, Italy, in 1903–1907
* ''Leonardo'' (journal), published b ...
* ''Saint Francis and Saint Elizabeth'', Leonardo Bazzano
* ''Saint Rosalia praying over the city'',
Vincenzo La Barbera
Vincenzo La Barbera (c. 1577 – 1642) was an Italian Mannerist architect and painter.
Biography
The son of Pietro and Domenica de Michele, his family were of Ligurian descent. The artist was born in Termini Imerese, to which his grandfather ...
* ''Virgin appearing to Saint Diego'',
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.Guilliam Walsgart
* ''Our Lady Refuge of Sinners'', unknown author
Frescoes:
* ''Our Lady Of Pity'', Tommaso de Vigilia
* ''Ascension of Jesus'',
Vito D'Anna
Vito D'Anna (14 October 1718 – 13 October 1769) was an Italian painter, considered the most prominent painter of Palermitan rococo and one of the most important artists of Sicily.
Biography
He was the father of Alessandro D'Anna, the brother- ...
* ''Assumption of the Virgin'', Filippo Tancredi
* ''Madonna and Saint Simon Stock'', Filippo Tancredi
* ''Elizabeth of Hungary and Saint Louis of France'', unknown author
Sculptures
High reliefs:
* ''Pietà'', Lorenzo Marabitti
Statues:
* The statues of the facade were drawn by
Giacomo Serpotta
Giacomo Serpotta (10 March 1656 – 27 February 1732) was an Italian sculptor, active in a Rococo style and mainly working in stucco.
Biography
Serpotta was born and died in Palermo; and may have never left Sicily. His skill and facility with st ...
and sculpted by Giacomo Pennino and Lorenzo Marabitti. They represent the saints Joseph, Elizabeth, Anne, Joachim, Louis and Anthony of Padua. Other statues are located inside the church.
See also
*
Kalsa
Kalsa or Mandamento Tribunali is a historical quarter of the Italian city of Palermo in Sicily. It is sometimes referred to as la Kalsa or the Kalsa.
Names
The common name of the quarter, ''Kalsa'', derives from the district's historic Arabic ...
Anna
Anna may refer to:
People Surname and given name
* Anna (name)
Mononym
* Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke
* Anna of East Anglia, King (died c.654)
* Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773)
* Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th c ...