Santa Maria dello Spasimo - Palermo

Church in late Gothic style was built in 1506 in the old Kalsa district, by the Olivetan Fathers, who chose the name 'Spasimo' as a sign of devotion to Our Lady who suffered on the cross for Christ.

Work on the construction of the church and the adjacent monastery continued for many years, but was never completed because in 1536, under the Turkish threat, the city's defense system had to be strengthened and the area behind the Spasimo was chosen for the construction of a defensive stronghold. Later the church became a place for theatrical performances , then a hospital during the spread of the plague in 1624, a warehouse for grain given its proximity to the old port, and finally it became a civil hospital and later, until 1986, a geriatric hospital.

The building has a nave and two aisles separated by four slender pointed arches and large side chapels, reimagining the spatial concept of Gothic-Renaissance architecture with large volumes. In addition, there are elements of the "chiaramontano" style, which elevates the Arab-Norman tradition, with the red dome covering the northern front part of the complex; to the Carnelivarian style, with the large lowered arch; to the flamboyant Gothic with the few lancet windows that provide light to the side chapels.

The existence of the nave's roof covering, now open to the sky, is uncertain.

Today, the Spasimo is a multifunctional space: it hosts exhibitions, shows and cultural events. Furthermore, the Brass Group's International School of Jazz has its headquarters in this evocative monument.

Willem Vandenameele