Sanctuary Altar

Santa Maria Della Concezione
Rome, Italy

Church Announcements

"Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini, or Our Lady of the Conception of the Capuchins, is a church in Rome, Italy, commissioned in 1626 by Pope Urban VIII, whose brother, Antonio Barberini, was a Capuchin friar. It is located at Via Veneto, close to Piazza Barberini.

Front Inner Door

"The crypt, or ossuary, now contains the remains of 4,000 friars buried between 1500 and 1870, during which time the Roman Catholic Church permitted burial in and under churches. The underground crypt is divided into five chapels, lit only by dim natural light seeping in through cracks, and small fluorescent lamps. The crypt walls are decorated with the remains in elaborate fashion, making this crypt a macabre work of art. Some of the skeletons are intact and draped with Franciscan habits, but for the most part, individual bones are used to create elaborate ornamental designs.

 Sanctuary Balcony

"Several renowned authors visited the crypt and left descriptions. The Marquis de Sade, who visited the crypt in 1775, wrote, “I have never seen anything more striking” (Voyage d'Italie, p. 106 of the Maurice Lever edition). Mark Twain visited the crypt in the summer of 1867, and begins Chapter XXVIII of The Innocents Abroad with 5 pages of his observations. Nathaniel Hawthorne describes the crypt in his novel The Marble Faun."(Link )

Painting  Above Altar

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Photos: Taken in October 2018 by RW  while travelling to Italy. 
Link :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Maria_della_Concezione_dei_Cappuccini

                                                                          Prayer

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

Parting of the Red Sea
The VOLKSBIBEL 1915

INDEX

2018

England

London, England, Our Lady and St. Catherine

               Siena CatholicChurch, 3/18/18.

                                                                      France

 Ferrette, France,  Church Saint Bernard-de-Menthon, 7/1/18.

Mulhouse, France, Temple St.-Etienne, 7/22/18.

Italy

Lugano, Milan, Chiesa de  Sant Angelo Roman Catholic Church,

                 4/15/18. 
Lugano, ,  Chiesa di Sant Angelo, 4/29/18.

Sienna, Tuscany, Church in Lecchi in Chianti, 11/18/18.
Siracusa, Sicily, Chiesa San Filippo Apostolo, 11/11/18.
Syracusa, Sicily, Chiesa San Giovainni Batista,  10/28/18.

Trapani, Collegio die Gesuiti, 12/16/18.

Latvia

Riga, Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, 9/16/18.

Switzerland

Aargau, Switzerland, Baden Reformed Church, 2/4/18. 

Found in Basel, Switzerland 2018, Photo Essay, German Bible ,

                   Commentary 1912,  5/20/18.
Found in 2018 in Basel, Switzerland, Photo Essay , The VolksBibel Illustraions, The VOLKSBIBEL 1915 (The People's Bible), 5/6/18.
Gruyere, Switzerland, Eglise Saint Theodule Roman Catholic Church,
               1/14/18.
Lucerne, Switzerland, Kirche St. Paul 
                  Katholische Kirche, 6/17/18.
Zurich, Kirche Hongg, 10/7/18.

United States

US Memorial Day, 2018, The Wall, 5/28/18 and 11/11/18.

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                                                                           Prayer

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

Collegio  dei Gesuiti 
in the morning sunshine

Collegio die Gesuiti

Trapani, Italy

"The church of the Jesuit college is a baroque church in Trapani , dedicated to the Immaculate Conception , located in Corso Vittorio Emanuele, in the historic center. Adjacent, on the right of the church, is the building of the former college, while the former convent overlooks Via Roma.

Church Sign

"When the Jesuits arrived in Trapani, in 1581 and in 1596, they obtained permission to build the church, thanks to the donations of the city Senate, with annexed the college, and the convent. The church was designed in 1614 by the Jesuit Messinese Christmas architect Masuccio and is one of the most significant Baroque monuments of the city 

"The church was consecrated in 1705. After the suppression of the Society of Jesus in 1767, the Jesuit Fathers had to leave Trapani in 1770 and their property passed under the jurisdiction of the diocese of Mazara del Vallo .

"The College then became the high school gymnasium Ximenes after the unification of Italy, while the convent was the seat of the court until the 1950s.

"Closed, since the beginning of the restoration works, since 1961, and was reopened in January 2003, but the works of architectural restoration of the church by the superintendence were definitively completed only in 2011 .

Front of  Church

"The interior has three naves, with columns and arches in Serliana. The walls are decorated with stuccos made by Bartolomeo Sanseverino, a student of the Serpotta , and by marbles.

"In the eighteenth century it was built by the architect Giovanni Biagio Amico la Cappella di Sant'Ignazio , valuable painting depicting St. Ignatius of Loyola , ^[3] by Vito Carreca .

"Among the paintings there is a painting depicting St. Francis Xavier by Pietro Novelli  , an altarpiece depicting the Immaculate Conception by Geronimo Gerardi and a wooden cupboard in the sacristy of Pietro Orlando . 

"In the apse there is the icon of the Immaculate , sculpted in 1766 by relief on white marble, by Ignazio Marabitti . ^[3] The precious works of inlays of colored marbles are prominent in the church; among the most valuable the altar dedicated to St. Ignatius of Loyola and the precious pulpit." (Link 1) 

Trapani

Location of Trapani in Italy (Link 2.)

"Trapani [ˈtraːpani]  listen (help·info) (Sicilian: Tràpani; Latin: Drepanon, Greek: Δρέπανον) is a city and comune on the west coast of Sicily in Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Trapani. Founded by Elymians, the city is still an important fishing port and the main gateway to the nearby Egadi Islands" (Link 2/)

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

Link 1: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiesa_del_collegio_dei_Gesuiti
Link 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trapani

                                                                          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.)

Church in Lecchi in Chianti, Sienna, Tuscany, Italy

Church in Lecchi in Chianti 
Sienna, Tuscany, Italy

"South of Radda, Lecchi in Chianti lies at the foot of a hill surmounted by the tumbledown castle of Monteluco. The quaint hamlet is lined along the main road which rises upto Ama. With its distinctive stone houses and dignified church, this backwater looks much as it did in medieval times. It was then an area of great estates linked to landowners such as the Ricasoli wine barons. Crowning the hill is Monteluco castle, which dates back to 1176. The castle was a Sienese bastion but battered in attacks in the 15th and 16th centuries. The fortifications feature a ruined hilltop fort surveying the Massellone valley, backed by a limestone watchtower below. Local walks link Lecchi to the lovely hamlet of San Sano, complete with home-cooking in a quiet inn. Trails through vineyards fan out from Lecchi, including a walk to Localita Molinaccio for a summer swim in river pools." (Link 1.)

Church Shrine

Church Plaque

Notes by RW:  This town, about 35 miles from Florence, was where Florence sent its undesirables to be exiled.  Specifically they sent them to what was called the Marlboro Ghetto.  The Malborghetto is now a well known restaurant.  The church, now seemingly in active, was the church of the exiled undesirables.

Poster at Malborghetto Restaurant:  "The Restaurant's name, Malboroghetto, comes from the Renaissance Period where the word was used to indicate border outposts where evil doers and politicians too famous to be killed were sent. ...."

Church Wall and Steeple

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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://www.to-tuscany.com/travel-guide/towns-villages/central-tuscany/lecchi-in-chianti/
Link 2: https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Restaurant_Review-g616196-d1490967-Reviews-Ristorante_Malborghetto-

                                                                          Prayer

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

Chiesa San Filippo Apostolo

Chiesa San Filippo Apostolo
Siracusa, Sicily, Italy

Church Sign

"This church offers splendid guided tours of what lies underneath - and is not to be missed, in my humble opinion. First you descend to the crypt, Further down are what appear to be miles of passageways extending in all directions, in which thousands of people took refuge during World War 2 bombings. At bottom is the piece de resistance: a mikvah (Jewish ritual bath) dating from the era when Siracusa had a sizable Jewish population. This unprepossessing small church is one of the highlights of Ortigia."(Link 1.)

Sanctuary

Altar

Relic

"This church offers splendid guided tours of what lies underneath - and is not to be missed, in my humble opinion. First you descend to the crypt, Further down are what appear to be miles of passageways extending in all directions, in which thousands of people took refuge during World War 2 bombings. At bottom is the piece de resistance: a mikvah (Jewish ritual bath) dating from the era when Siracusa had a sizable Jewish population. This unprepossessing small church is one of the highlights of Ortigia."(Link 1.)

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Photos: Taken in october 2018 with an Iphone by RW while visiting Italy.

Link  11:https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attraction_Review-g187891-d6738036-Reviews-Chiesa_di_San_Filippo_Apostolo-Syracuse_P
Link  2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syracuse,_Sicily
Link 3:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ortygia
                                                                         Prayer

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