Chiesa della Madonna dell'Itria ai Cocchieri - Palermo

The church was built between 1596 and 1611 by the Brotherhood of the Coachmen.

This brotherhood carried the statues of Our Lady of Sorrows and the Deposed Christ through the streets of the neighborhood during the Good Friday procession. The liveries (costumes) they wore reflected the colors of the house they served. Though the scenario has changed a lot, the procession continues to take place every year among the religiously participating crowd.

The interior has a single nave with an apse and two side walls where you can admire two oil paintings depicting the Virgin Hodegetria and the Risen Christ. Below the church is the crypt , which was first used by the drivers and coachmen for prayer and later for the burial of the members of the brotherhood of Jesus and Mary. For this reason, the frescoes on the side depict the souls in purgatory who obtained salvation through the intercession of the saints.

Willem Vandenameele