Chiesa di Sant'Agostino - Palermo

Together with the fourteenth-century Augustinian monastery, the church forms a monumental complex that is also known locally as "Santa Rita".

In 1115 this was a primitive place of worship with the tomb of Niccolò Majda. In 1244-1275 there was the construction of the monastery and the church of the Order of Saint Augustine. In 1663 there were restoration works due to a fire.

The building has an interesting facade of the fourteenth century with a portal enriched by a demeaning series of arches and higher up a beautiful rose window. The church is flanked by a cloister from the second half of the sixteenth century, with moving arches on elegant columns; here is a Baroque sarcophagus with a Gaginesque lid, on which an "Annunciation" is depicted.

The interior has a single nave, enriched with a beautiful decoration made by Giacomo Serpotta in the 17th century: the surrounding statues represent saints and allegorical characters whose names can easily be found in the writings on the pedestals below.

The second image on the right bears Serpotta 's signature on the back and a lizard, the artist's symbol, on the shelf. On the arch of the presbytery is the Augustinian emblem, erected by sensitive angel figures.

In addition, the church preserves notable works of art , such as: the bust of Francesco Medici by Ignazio Marabitti; “St. Tommaso di Villanova”, painting by Giuseppe Salerno, known as Lo Zoppo di Gangi; main altar in semi-precious stones from 1792 etc.

Willem Vandenameele