Church of St. Francesco all’Immacolata

The church of Saint Francesco all’Immacolata, although initially dedicated to St. Andrew the Apostle, in the early sixteenth century was dedicated to the Immaculate Conception and the Madonna of Soccorso.

Founded in the fourteenth century, in the next two centuries it underwent through different interventions. Its present shape date back to the second half of the eighteenth century, when the ceiling frescoes depicting the Immaculate Conception of St. Francis and St. Anthony were executed; the marble steps of the altars and the marble ornaments of the altars date to the restoration of the ‘600.

The beautiful Baroque façade, which is engraved with the insignia of the Franciscan order (two crossed arms), stands in the small square Corpaci, while in the bell tower, rebuilt in 1876, is placed the clock of the demolished church of St. Andrew. The restorations have brought to light the splendid fifteenth century portals and traces of the neighboring convent. Inside the single nave church stand the interesting stucco decorations of the six side altars.

The text is (partly) taken from Religious architecture in Ortigia, Lucia Acerra – printed in 1995 by: EDIPRINT