Chiesa di Santa Maria Maddalena - Palermo

The Church of Santa Maria Maddalena in Palermo is one of the oldest churches in the city . Very few people know of its existence because it is located in a police barracks , but every Sunday during mass the doors remain open to the faithful.

In this part of the city, the "KASR" towered dominantly above all , the castle of the Arab emirs, a fortress linked to the remote origins of the city, which later became the residence of the Norman kings, who remodeled it, making it became a safe haven.

With the gradual transformation of the Galka and its merger with the rest of the city, the Church of S. Maria Maddalena, very close to Porta Nuova , was included in the military district of S. Giacomo and used since 1622 by the Spanish troops stationed in Palermo were stationed.

Over the years, the district became the current barracks of the Sicily Carabinieri Legion Commando and therefore the church remained invisible from the outside and difficult to visit.

The chapel was built in 1187 to replace an older chapel dedicated to Magdalene that had been built by Queen Alvira in 1130 and had to make way for the expansion of the cathedral. Much of the material from the demolished chapel was probably used. From its foundation, the Church was under archiepiscopal authority and united with the Royal Palatine Chapel.

By the mid -eighteenth century the church was heavily rebuilt , camouflaged the architecture to the point that it became difficult to recognize the original Norman structure within it. It is probably because of this that the Church fell increasingly into oblivion, with the commanders-in-chief of the army considering demolishing it. But thanks to the Monuments Conservation Commission , which had to endure a very hard struggle, the precious relic was prevented from disappearing, and in 1891, with a Royal Decree approved on July 14, the church became a national monument.

Characteristic of the church of S. Maria Maddalena is that, despite its small size, it gives the impression of an internal breadth and depth that is greater in reality.

Some works of art have been preserved in the church, a beautiful marble statue of Saint Mary Magdalene from the Gagini school, an ancient panel painting depicting the resurrection of Lazarus and kept in one of the chapels;. In the ante-sacristy there is an ancient panel, painted with a gold background, depicting the Virgin Mary with two winged angels at her sides, and in the floor are several tombstones.

Since 1948, the historic church, whose simplicity evokes a sense of mystical contemplation, has been used as a votive temple for the Carabinieri who died during the war or in the performance of their duty.

Willem Vandenameele