Chiesa di Sant'Orsola dei Negri

The Church of Sant'Orsola dei Negri is a small jewel of Palermo's Baroque, dating back to the early decades of the 17th century. It is a unique religious building, sumptuously decorated by Giacomo Serpotta with stuccos that represent a detailed repertoire linked to the theme of death, including skeletons and bones. The construction of the Church is due to the Compagnia di Sant'Orsola, which was occupied at that time with the burial of the deceased in the neighborhood. For this reason it is called "dei Negri" precisely from the color of the robes of the brothers. The interior of the Church is rich in precious decorative elements, including paintings depicting Saints Lucy, Cristina, Agata, Ninfa, Oliva and Rosalia in the side chapels, the large fresco representing the Glory of Saint Ursula on the roof and the motifs that narrate episodes of the life of Saint Ursula. Among the big names, Pietro Novelli, Gaspare Serenario and Zoppo di Gangi stand out.

Spectacular place of worship. A little gem in the historic center of Palermo.

Suggestive, I went exclusively to the stuccoes of Serpotta, but also the paintings deserve

One of Palermo's baroque jewels. Free admission, if you pass by those parts it is worth a visit.

The church of Sant'Orsola is one of the many and little known jewels of the Palermo Baroque. It was commissioned by the Compagnia di Sant'Orsola or Compagnia dell'Orazione della Morte known as "dei Negri" for the color of the ritual dress, a brotherhood born with the aim of giving a pitiful burial (in the adjacent cemetery) to the deceased of that area of ​​the cities and officiating masses in suffrage for the souls of purgatory. The Renaissance facade presents, in the second order, two angels of admirable workmanship. In the triangular tympanum there is a soul of Purgatory, wrapped in flames and other decorative elements that recall the transience of human life Inside, with a single nave, there are several valuable works including a 1756 fresco by Gaspare Serenario with "The glory of Sant'Orsola". The pillars have six stucco ovals - from the Novelli workshop - with Saints from Palermo. The stuccos of the Serpotta and the frescoes of the last part of the eighteenth century are admirable. There are paintings by Zoppo di Gangi, Pietro Novelli, Antonio Manno, Giuseppe Patania. Fascinating is the crypt, dedicated to burials. It was decorated by Giacomo Serpotta who, for the occasion, added to his recurring figurative repertoire - naturalistic motifs, cherubs, garlands and festoons - unpublished depictions of macabre skeletons and dangling bones. The restorations have highlighted the complex of cisterns, hatches and strainers used for the correct conservation of the corpses

Superb church, finished in 1662, wonderful frescoes and statues, open for visits and masses