San Giovanni Battista

Chiesa, San Giovainni Batista
Syracusa, Sicily

"The basilica of "San Giovanni Battista" (called in the jargon of San Giovannello ) is located in Piazza del Precursore, in the Giudecca district of Ortigia in Syracuse . It was built on another early Christian basilica of the fourth century , built on the order of the bishop Germano.

"Because of its age, the parish church of San Giovanni Battista has always been uninterrupted until today called "first post episcopalem", "first after the Cathedral Church" as officially attested, among others, by Msgr. A. Casaccio, vicar general, in 1781.

"The current aspect is of 1380 . It has a beautiful fifteenth-century portal, a rose window and the top of the façade that are not aligned with each other and this because of the tampering suffered by the church over the centuries, not least that of the eighteenth century. It also has two bell cells on the left of the building, today without a roof. The interior has a Latin cross, with three naves, separated by columns alternating with pointed arches.

"Research carried out in the parish archives shows that the main altar was dedicated to the Precursor while the side altars were dedicated to Santa Maria della Speranza, to San Bartolomeo Apostolo, to Saint Anthony of Padua and to the Holy Family. The paintings of Saint Anthony of Padua and of the Holy Family can be found today in the nearby church of San Filippo Apostolo. The panel of the Madonna della Speranza, now housed in the Bellomo, is present in the church through a faithful photographic reproduction placed in what was once its altar. No news, unfortunately, of the paintings of San Giovanni Battista and San Bartolomeo Apostolo. The canvas of Saint Bartholomew the Apostleit had been moved from the nearby church of San Bartolomeo in relatively recent times following the deconsecration and contextual closure to the public cult of the church of the same name. The 16th century painting by San Bartolomeo had taken the place - in the church of San Giovanni Battista - of the painting of San Giuseppe, a work of little value, transferred to the sacristy and now preserved in the sacristy of the church of San Filippo Apostolo.

"The two bells, present until a century ago in the bell cells still present, were relatively recent: sec. XIX the largest and sec. XX the smallest. There is no more news of both.

"Today the basilica , a rectory of the Parish of St. John the Baptist at the Immaculate, is still a consecrated church open to divine worship. Mass is celebrated every Saturday, in the summer months, at 18.00 (months of July and August at 18.30) and on special occasions such as on 23rd and 24th June, solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist , titular of the church." (Link 2.)

Church Sign

**********

Photos: Taken in October 2018 with I phone by RW while visiting in Sicily from his home in Switzerland.

Link 1: https://www.google.ca/search?q=Chiesa.%20San%20Giovanni%20Battista%20Italy&rlz=1C1KYPB_enCA770CA

Link 2: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiesa_di_San_Giovannello

                                                                             Prayer

God, be with persecuted Christians  and Jews throughout the world. Amen (SW.)