Santa Ninfa dei Crociferi

Church of Saint Nympha
	Chiesa di Santa Ninfa dei Crociferi (in Italian)
	Façade of the church
Religion
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
Province	Archdiocese of Palermo
Rite	Roman Rite
Location
Location	Palermo, Italy
Geographic coordinates	38°06′59.8″N 13°21′37.6″E
Architecture
Style	Sicilian Baroque, Mannerist
Groundbreaking	1601
Completed	1750

The Church of Saint Nympha (Italian: Chiesa di Santa Ninfa or Santa Ninfa dei Crociferi) is a Baroque-Mannerist church of Palermo. It is located in the central Via Maqueda, in the quarter of Seralcadi, within the historic centre of Palermo. The church belongs to the Camillians (also known as "Crociferi").

History

The church – dedicated to one of the patron saints of Palermo – is one of the first buildings erected after the opening of Via Maqueda, the second most important street of the city. The construction of the church began on 10 August 1601 with the ceremony of groundbreaking.[1] To this inauguration also Saint Camillus de Lellis attended.[1] The construction was fostered by the Palermo Senate and financed with donations from several noble families of the city. In the same area the house of the Crociferi was erected.[1]

The original project was probably prepared in Rome. In Palermo many architects were involved in the construction: Giovanni Macolino, Giacomo Amato, Giuseppe Clemente Mariani, Ferdinando Lombardo and Giuseppe Venanzio Marvuglia. The church was open in 1660, but because of financial difficulties, the construction was completed only in 1750 with the conclusion of the façade designed by Ferdinando Lombardo. The church houses many artworks of important artists.

Some relics of Saint Camillus are held in the church.

Sir John Acton was buried here after his death in 1811.

Art

Facade: Martyrdom of Saint Nympha, Gaspare Firriolo

Facade: Saint Camillus takes care of the infirms, Vittorio Perez

Facade: The groundbreaking of the church, Vittorio Perez

Paintings

Oil on canvas:

Nympha and the other Virgins of Palermo with Saint Joseph, Mary and the Most Holy Trinity, Gioacchino Martorana
Saint Camillus ascends to Heaven, Gaspare Serenario
Death of Saint Joseph, Guglielmo Borremans
Holy Family, Guglielmo Borremans
Saint Joseph the Carpenter, Guglielmo Borremans
Martyrdom of Saint Venantius, unknown author
God the Father, unknown author

Panel painting:

Our Lady of Health, unknown author

Frescoes:

Saint Paul and the Triumph of the Cross, Gioacchino Martorana
Saint Jerome, Gioacchino Martorana
Saint Gregory the Great, Gioacchino Martorana
Saint Augustine, Gioacchino Martorana
Saint Ambrose, Gioacchino Martorana
Saint Philip Neri in Glory, Alessandro D'Anna
Saint Magdalene penitent, Alessandro D'Anna
Saint Liberalis, unknown author
Saint Evansia, unknown author
Adoration of the Bronze Serpent, unknown author
Assumption of the Virgin, unknown author

Sculptures

High reliefs:

Martyrdom of Saint Nympha, Gaspare Firriolo
Saint Camillus takes care of the infirms, Vittorio Perez
The groundbreaking of the church, Vittorio Perez

Statues:

Saint John the Baptist, Giacomo Serpotta
Mary Magdalene, Giacomo Serpotta
Virgin Mary, Giacomo Serpotta
Our Lady of Sorrows, Giuseppe Milanti
Simeon, Andrea Sulfarello
Jeremiah, Gaspare La Farina
Heart of Jesus, unknown author
Justice, unknown author
Penance, unknown author

The church houses several funeral monuments.

References

"Gaspare Palermo, Guida istruttiva per potersi conoscere tutte le magnificenze della Città di Palermo, Volume quarto, Palermo, Reale Stamperia, 1816, p. 145-154".

External links

(in Italian) Image gallery
(in Italian) History of the church - Provincia Regionale di Palermo
(in Italian) History of the church - sicilytourist.com

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[G.Palermo-1] "Gaspare Palermo, Guida istruttiva per potersi conoscere tutte le magnificenze della Città di Palermo, Volume quarto, Palermo, Reale Stamperia, 1816, p. 145-154".