Santa Lucìa alla Badìa, Siracusa
| Santa Lucia alla Badia | |
|---|---|
 Facade toward Piazza Duomo | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | deconsecrated Catholic Church |
| Province | Siracusa |
| Location | |
| Location | Siracusa, Italy |
| Geographic coordinates | 37°03′31″N 15°17′37″E / 37.05864°N 15.29359°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Church |
| Style | Baroque |
| Completed | 1703 |
Santa Lucia alla Badia is a
Description
A church and monastery at the site, attached to a female
The monastery and church were destroyed by the
The structure of the church was heavily damaged during the Second World War, and various restorations took place in the 20th century. The tile flooring of the nave was replaced in 1970.
The flat tall facade is decorated just above the main portal with symbols of the martyred patron of Siracusa,
On the second floor is an elaborate metal balcony from where the cloistered nuns could view processions and celebrations in the piazza without mingling with the outside world. The original metal balcony was removed from the church during World War II. The metal cross once at the top of the structure was removed due to its instability.
The church suffered much damage during the Second World War, and has been reconstructed to match the prior late Baroque interiors. A single nave leads to an apse with dome. The nave ceiling is frescoed (1783) with the Triumph of Santa Lucia by Deodato Guinaccia.[3]
The painting by
At the main altar is a painting depicting the Martyrdom of Santa Lucia, also recalling a miracle that occurred in 1646: during a time of famine, a large crowd had gathered to pray to San Lucia, when a dove alighted on the episcopal throne, announcing the arrival of ships with food for cargo. For centuries, on the first Sunday of May, the nuns in the adjacent convent, celebrated the festival of the “Quails of Santa Lucia” (Santa Lucia delle Quaglie), where the nuns used to free doves and quails from the church’s balcony. A modified ceremony is still re-enacted in the piazza del Duomo, every December during the Festa di Santa Lucia.[4]
Other decorations inside the church include stuccoes (1705) by Biagio Bianco of Licodia, some of them gilded in the late 18th century. A reliquary made of silver was completed by Francesco Tuccio in 1726. On the right is an altarpiece by Giuseppe Reati, depicting the Miracle of St Francis of Paola (1641).
The monastery that encompassed the structures to the east and south of the church extended down to Piazzetta San Rocco. An oval parlor or locutory adjacent to the church was used by the cloistered nuns to meet with family members. A second-story connection spanning the Via delle Virgine likely implies that the building across the street was part of the cloistered monastery.
References
- ^ Rough Guide to Sicily 2014, page 218.
- ^ In honor of Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr of Syracuse.
- ^ Antonio Randazzo, site describing churches o Syracuse.
- ^ Secret Siracusa.
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