Chiesa del Gesù

Palermo

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Also known as Casa Professa, this is one of Palermo's most breathtaking churches. The Jesuits first built a church on this site between 1564 and 1578. Incorporated into a larger church in 1633, the building was significantly restored after suffering major bomb damage in WWII. While the church's facade displays relative restraint typical of the late 16th century, its transept, apses and dome burst with 17th-century baroque extravagance. The dome's vault is decorated with a fresco attributed to Pietro Novelli.

More of Novelli's brilliance awaits in the second chapel on the right, home to his psychologically intense St Philip of Argiro and equally arresting St Paul the Hermit, both works executed in around 1635.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Cattedrale di Vergine Assunta.

    Cattedrale di Palermo

    0.31 MILES

    A feast of geometric patterns, ziggurat crenellations, maiolica cupolas and blind arches, Palermo's cathedral has suffered aesthetically from multiple…

  • MONREALE, SICILY, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 28, 2018: Cloister of Roman Catholic Cathedral of Monreale (or Duomo di Monreale, 1267) near Palermo; one of the greatest extant examples of Norman architecture.; Cattedrale di Monreale Shutterstock ID 1421721263; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    Cattedrale di Monreale

    4.33 MILES

    Inspired by a vision of the Virgin and determined to outdo his grandfather Roger II, who was responsible for the cathedral in Cefalù and the Cappella…

  • Cappella Palatina in the Palazzo dei Normanni.

    Cappella Palatina

    0.45 MILES

    Designed by Roger II in 1130, this extraordinary chapel is Palermo's top tourist attraction. Located on the middle level of Palazzo dei Normanni's three…

  • Palermo, Sicily, Italy

    Galleria Regionale della Sicilia

    0.61 MILES

    Housed in the stately 15th-century Palazzo Abatellis, this art museum – widely regarded as Palermo's best – showcases works by Sicilian artists dating…

  • Mosaics in the Sala di Ruggero (Hall of King Roger) in the Palazzo dei Normanni (Palazzo Reale).

    Palazzo dei Normanni

    0.45 MILES

    Home to Sicily's regional parliament, this venerable palace dates back to the 9th century. However, it owes its current look (and name) to a major Norman…

  • Teatro Massimo at night.

    Teatro Massimo

    0.54 MILES

    Taking over 20 years to complete, Palermo's neoclassical opera house is the largest in Italy and the second-largest in Europe. The closing scene of The…

  • Small snail-like creatures for sale at Ballaro market.

    Mercato di Ballarò

    0.08 MILES

    Snaking for several city blocks southeast of Palazzo dei Normanni is Palermo's busiest street market, which throbs with activity well into the early…

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Nearby Palermo attractions

1. Mercato di Ballarò

0.08 MILES

Snaking for several city blocks southeast of Palazzo dei Normanni is Palermo's busiest street market, which throbs with activity well into the early…

2. Chiesa Capitolare di San Cataldo

0.12 MILES

This 12th-century church in Arab-Norman style is one of Palermo's most striking buildings. With its dusky-pink bijou domes, solid square shape, blind…

3. La Martorana

0.12 MILES

On the southern side of Piazza Bellini, this luminously beautiful 12th-century church was endowed by King Roger's Syrian emir, George of Antioch, and was…

4. Piazza Bellini

0.15 MILES

The disparate architectural styles and eras of the buildings adorning this magnificent piazza should by rights be visually discordant, but in fact…

5. Chiesa di San Giuseppe dei Teatini

0.15 MILES

In the southwestern corner of the Quattro Canti is this 17th-century church, topped by an elegant cupola designed by Giuseppe Mariani and flanked by the…

6. Fontana Pretoria

0.16 MILES

Fringed by imposing churches and buildings, Piazza Pretoria is dominated by the over-the-top Fontana Pretoria, one of Palermo's major landmarks. The…

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