Church of Santa Ninfa dei Crociferi, Palermo

The imposing early 17th-century church of Santa Ninfa stands in the very central Maqueda street: it is easily recognizable by its elegant white stucco panels on the facade, representing stories of San Camillo on the two sides and the “Martirio di Santa Ninfa” (Saint Ninfa’s Martyrdom) above the main entrance. The interiors are quite rich, featuring many fine marble-inlayed funeral monuments and other valuable baroque pieces. The chapel of the Holy Family, first on the right, encloses three fine paintings by the Flemish artist Guglielmo Borremas. The following chapel is dedicated to San Venanzio and has a fine anonymous painting dating to 1724, which represents the martyrdom of the saint, surrounded by two beautiful statues of angels by Giacomo Serpotta. The transept’s ceiling is decorated with a 19th-century trompe l’oeil painting by Gaetano Riolo, simulating a false dome. Above the altar designed by Venanzio Marvuglia stands a fine painting of “Santa Ninfa con le Vergini Palermitane” (Saint Ninfa with Palermo’s Vergins) framed by statues of cherubim. The third chapel on the left features a dramatic wooden crucifix surrounded by fine statues of the Holy Virgin, San Giovanni and St. Mary of Magdalena by Giacomo Serpotta below. The sacristy hosts a fine statue of “Madonna delle Grazie” (Our Lady of Grace) by Gagini’s school.

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