1. Santa Luca Alla Badia Church

Santa Luca Alla Badia Church
Siracusa, Sicily, Italy

The church of Santa Lucia alla Badia is a church in Syracuse , located in Piazza Duomo and dedicated to the patron saint of Syracuse.

Originally the site of a monastery of the XV century , was completely destroyed by the earthquake of 1693 , and the reconstruction is due to the Mother Superior of the Sisters Cistercians between 1695 and 1703 , the architect Luciano Caracciolo directed the work and from which the project has also arisen.

Church Front Entrance

"The façade , previously on the narrow Via Picherali that leads to the Aretusa spring , and now facing the square, has two overlapping orders separated by the trabeation with a balcony fitted with a wrought iron railing.

"The lower order is characterized by the presence of the baroque portal in the center, framed by spiral columns that support the pediment decorated with symbols of the martyrdom of the Saint, on whose sides there are Spanish royal coats of arms. Pseudo- Ionian style pilasters , are part of the lower order of the façade

"In the higher order, there are still more slender, pseudo- Corinthian pilasters , inspired by the Rococo style .

The façade reaches a total height of about 25 m. On the top there is a jagged girdle with putti heads and the cross, currently removed as being unsafe.

"The interior has a single nave decorated by four Baroque altars of 1705 , in the vault are the frescoes of 1783 representing the Triumph of Saint Lucia . The presbytery has a dome roof on the top of the temple.

"In the apse, behind the high altar , there is the large painting of the "Burial of Saint Lucia" painted in 1608 by Caravaggio , in his Syracusan residence; the painting, originally on the altar of the church of Santa Lucia al Sepolcro , after a series of important restorations, was first exhibited at the Palazzo Bellomo gallery , before being placed in the church of Santa Lucia alla Badia.

Artist	Caravaggio
Year	1608

                               (Link 1.)

"Burial of Saint Lucy is a painting by the Italian artist Caravaggio. It is located in the church of Santa Lucia alla Badia located on the Piazza Duomo in Syracuse, Sicily." (Link 2.)

Artist of "Burial of St. Lucy"

"According to The Golden Legend, Saint Lucy had bestowed her wealth on the poor, in gratitude for the miraculous healing of her mother. Denounced as a Christian, she refused to recant, offered her chastity to Christ, and was sentenced to be dragged to a brothel. Miraculously, nothing could move her from the spot where she stood. She was pierced by a knife in the throat and, where she fell, the church of Santa Lucia al Sepolcro in Syracuse was built. " (Link 1.)

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Photos: Taken in October 2018 by RW  while travelling to Italy.  
Link 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burial_of_St._Lucy_(Caravaggio)
Link 2: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiesa_di_Santa_Lucia_alla_Badia

                                                          

                                                                        Prayer

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

Chiesa San Cristoforo

Chiesa San Cristoforo
Catania, Sicily, Italy

Church Sign

"It was raised in the Middle Ages in 1300 and was rebuilt in 1700 following the collapse due to the earthquake of 1693. The upper part of the façade is simple where you can see a central window. The portal instead, is characterized by a frame full of floral elements of Baroque style, above the portal there is the bust of San Cristoforo. The only news we have of this Church is that its shape is rectangular, for many years it is closed to worship. After being closed for about ten years, in June 2015, at the behest of Father Rosario Andrea Lo Bello, the Church of San Cristoforo has been reopened."(Link 1.)

Sanctuary

Sanctuary Altar

Sanctuary Wall Art

Sanctuary Wall Art

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Photos: Taken in October 2018 by RW  while travelling to Italy.  
Link 1: https://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=it&u=http://www.ortigia.it/contenuti/chiese/381-chiesa-di-san-cristofo

                                                          

                                                                        Prayer

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

Basilica Santuario Madona Delle Lacrime

Basilica Santuario Madona Delle Lacrime

Syracusa, Sicily, Italy

Basilica Santuario Madona Delle Lacrime

"The basilica Madonna delle Lacrime sanctuary is a minor basilica and Marian shrine erected in memory of the miraculous tearing of a plaster effigy depicting the Immaculate Heart of Mary , placed at the bedside of the Iannuso spouses at their humble home in via degli Orti in Syracuse , in 1953 .

In 2002, John Paul II raised the sanctuary to the dignity of a minor basilicawith the name of "basilica sanctuary Madonna delle Lacrime"

Diagram and Description of Church

"According to tradition, the miraculous event was repeated from 29 August to 1 September 1953 in the general emotion of an immense multitude of faithful, in the house of the Iannuso spouses. Collected the tears were subjected to a scientific analysis according to which they would be human tear liquid. The devotion that followed was of enormous proportions. The small effigy of the Madonna delle Lacrime , first provisionally admitted to the nearby Euripide square from 1953 to 1968, was placed inside the sanctuary , in the current crypt and remained there from 1968 to 1994, before being moved inside the upper temple of the Sanctuary.

Sanctuary

Sanctuary Altar

"The work was designed in 1957 by French architects Michel Andrault and Pierre Parat following an international competition announcement but the structural works are by engineer Riccardo Morandi ^[1] . The construction began in 1966: ...

"The construction was completed after about 28 years and the sanctuary was consecrated, inaugurated and dedicated to the Madonna delle Lacrimeon 6 November 1994 by Pope John Paul II ...

Interior  of Sanctuary Spire

"The structure is subject to various interpretations. The architects set out to structurally implement the concept of the elevation of humanity to God . In fact, the plant with its circularity wants to represent humanity that reaches out to God. Other meanings attributed are those of: beacon, identifiable with Mary that leads to the port that is Jesus; tent, within which the Mother welcomes her children to lead them to the Father; lily turned upside down, finally a tear that comes down from above seen in the dynamics of the impact on the ground." (Link.)

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Photos: Taken in October 2018 by RW  while travelling to Italy. 

Link:  https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_santuario_Madonna_delle_Lacrime (translation)

                                                                          Prayer

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

Parrocchia S. Tommaso Al Pantheon

Chiesa Parrocchia  San Tommaso Al Pantheon
Syracusa, Sicily, Italy

"The church of San Tommaso al Pantheon is located in Syracuse , located between the end of the Gelone course, the Syracusan Forum , the Euripides square and the Via Armando Diaz. ....Start of construction, 1919.

Church Announcements

"The church of San Tommaso al Pantheon, commonly called by the Syracusans "the Pantheon", is considered as the main monument to the fallen of the First World War , because inside there are the remains of the Syracusani soldiers who died at the front during the First World War.

"Designed by architect Gaetano Rapisardi , the structure is of modern style, built starting from 1919 , with a circular shape, its section is cylindrical and is characterized by large pillars divided by large windows that support a small terrace comprising some small windows surmounted by crosses of Stone. At the top of the church there is a small bell tower in reinforced concrete. 
The entrance is given by a large bronze portal, on whose side there is a commemorative plaque in memory of the victims of World War I, inside there is the only circular nave of the church, where there are the tombstones and the remains of the Syracusans fallen to the front. The high altar is elegant and next to it there are valuable sacred works of contemporary era " (Link.)

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Photos: Taken in October 2018 by RW  while travelling to Italy. 
Link : https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiesa_di_San_Tommaso_al_Pantheon
            (Translation)

                                                                          Prayer

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

Cathedral of Syracuse/Duomo di Siracusa

Cathedral of Syracuse/Duomo di Siracusa

Syracusa, Sicily, Italy

Cattedrale metropolitana della Natività di Maria Santissima
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Basic information
Geographic coordinates	37°03′35″N 15°17′36″ECoordinates: 37°03′35″N 15°17′36″E
Region	Sicily
Country	Italy
Architectural description
Architectural type	Cathedral
Architectural style	Sicilian Baroque
UNESCO World Heritage site
Part of	Syracuse and the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica
Criteria	Cultural: (ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)
Reference	1200-003
Inscription	2005 (29th Session)

carved Acanthus leaves in the baroque façade (Link 1)

"The Cathedral of Syracuse (Duomo di Siracusa), formally the Cattedrale metropolitana della Natività di Maria Santissima, is an ancient Catholic church in Syracuse, Sicily, the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Siracusa. Its structure is originally a Greek doric temple, and for this reason it is included in a UNESCO World Heritage Site designated in 2005.^[1] The cathedral stands in the city's historic core on Ortygia Island." (Link 1)

Duomo Frontal Statue

"The present cathedral was constructed by Saint Bishop Zosimo of Syracuse in the 7th century. The battered Doric columns of the original temple were incorporated in the walls of the current church. They can be seen inside and out.^[3] The building was converted into a mosque in 878, then converted back when Norman Roger I of Sicily retook the city in 1085. The roof of the nave is of Norman origin, as well as the mosaics in the apses.

"As part of the increased building activity after the 1693 Sicily earthquake, the cathedral was rebuilt and the façade redesigned by architect Andrea Palma in 1725–1753. The style is classified as High Sicilian Baroque, a relatively late example. The double order of Corinthian columns on the facade provide a classic example of carved Acanthus leaves in the capitals. Sculptor Ignazio Marabitti contributed the full-length statues on the facade.

"The interior of the church, a nave and two aisles, combine rustic walls and Baroque details. Features include a font with marble basin dating from the 12th or 13th century, a ciborium (an altar canopy) designed by architect Luigi Vanvitelli, and a statue of the Madonna della Neve ("Madonna of the Snow", 1512) by Antonello Gagini."(Link 1.)

Duomo Pillar Detail

Duomo fountain

Ortigia (/ɔːrˈtɪdʒiə/; Italian: Ortigia; Greek: Ὀρτυγία) is a small iss from the Ancient Greek ortyx (ὄρτυξ), which means "Quail". (Link 2,)landwhich is the historical centre of the city of Syracuse, Sicily. The island, also known as Città Vecchia (Old City), contains many historical landmarks. The name originate

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Photos: Taken in Sept. 2018 by RW while travelling to Italy for the L'Eroica Classic Bike Race.
Link 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_Syracuse
Link 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ortygia

                                                                          Prayer

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