CHAPEL OF SAN GIORGIO

The cult of the ancient church of San Giorgio , which was nearby and which was destroyed by the earthquake of 1832 , was transferred to it in 1834. Never rebuilt, that church is mentioned in the toponymy of the nearby road called via San Giorgio.

The pediment of the altar is made in trompe-l'œil, a technique that unites several frescoes between the chapels of this church and represents an artistic unicum for the entire city.

At the center of the altar, in a niche, there is the papier-mâché statue of San Giorgio (early 20th century ), the work of the sculptor Vincenzo Pignatari from Catania.

On the right wall, you can see the canvas depicting the Salus Populi Romani between saints Vitaliano and Giovanni Evangelista; below, a niche that preserves a wooden group of the Neapolitan school depicting the Heart of Jesus with Santa Margherita, Maria Alacoque (18th century). The saint is known for inspiring devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

On the left wall, above, a canvas depicting the Madonna del Carmelo. This very ancient Marian title evokes the mountain where the prophet Elijah defended faith in the God of Israel. In the Christian age the cult of the Virgin Mary took root and some monastic communities settled there, from which the Carmelite monks originated. The Madonna del Carmelo is often depicted as the one who obtains liberation for the souls in Purgatory.

Below a second niche containing a wooden statue of the Neapolitan school (18th century) , depicting St. Anthony of Padua.