Chiesa di Sant'Anna la Misericordia - Palermo

The church was built between 1606 and 1632 on the site of a small church dedicated to S. Maria della Pietà.

The beautiful and picturesque Baroque facade was built in the first half of the 18th century to a design by Giovanni Biagio Amico from Trapani, who designed a sinuous facade, moved by the chiaroscuro effects of the projecting columns and niches; the facade then had a remarkable vertical extension due to the presence of a third order, which collapsed during the earthquake of 1823.

A rich repertoire of images adorns the niches: the high relief of the Virgin of Sorrows above the entrance portal is by Lorenzo Marabitti; in the niches on the side are statues of Saint Joseph, Saint Joachim, Saint Anna and Saint Elizabeth, executed by Giacomo Pennino after models by Serpotta; statues of Saint Anthony and Saint Ludovico close the attic wall of the second order.

The interior has three naves, separated by gray marble columns and round arches. The side aisles, with deep chapels that are almost all decorated, are covered at each chapel by a dome with an octagonal base and lantern.

Particularly interesting are the paintings depicting the Assumption, painted by Vito D'Anna and placed in the vault of the left transept, and the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, painted by Filippo Tancredi, in the corresponding ceiling of the right wing.

Willem Vandenameele