In 1571, the Company of SS. Rosario, the richest lay brotherhood of Palermo, started the building of an oratory behind Chiesa di Santa Cita. The entrance till date preserves its primitive Renaissance look, but the stunning decoration inside is one of the highest examples of Rococo style in Italy. During the 17th Century, the Company ordered valuable paintings representing the Holy Mysteries (on lateral sides and above the entrance) and in 1628 famous Flemish artist Anton Van Dick made the painting of "Madonna del Rosario" above the altar. The theatrical snow-white stucco decorations, so closely related to paintings in their forms and meanings, were completed in the 18th Century by sculptor Giacomo Serpotta. Typical are the playful little angels called "putti" and the Virtues represented as young fashionable dames.
- Type:
Attractions & Landmarks, Religious
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