Studio39Designs

Oritorio di Santa Cita

Just down the little back street from the first oritorio was the second one, the Oritorio di Santa Cita.  The artist who did the plaster carvings/sculptures in this oritorio was also Giacomo Serpotta, but this oritorio had a very different feel to it.

Inner Courtyard

 After we climbed the stairs and went thru the doorway to the oritorio, we first came to this lovely, peaceful inner courtyard, complete with its own tree!  It was such an oasis from the bustling street noises just outside the door and, to me, invoked such a feeling of calm.

Marble and Mosaic

We climbed another set of stairs to the second level (you can see the walk around we were on in the above image), and as we walked along it, I happened to glance down and see this lovely floor.  Much of the floor is sort of worn away, but close to the wall, you can see how beautiful it all once looked.

Church Art

Different from the first oritorio we saw, I had the feeling that this one might still be used for services and ceremonies.  In the front of the chapel like room, there was an altar, and behind/above it was this beautiful painting.  I was amazed at how bright and vivid the colors still were.

Elaborate Plaster Carvings

We sat in church pews while we took in the wonders in this room.  There were many windows in this chapel and each one was surrounded by this same type of sculptured carving.  Below the carvings were small sort of dioramas, depicting (again) the mysteries of the rosary.

More Carvings

Here’s a closer view of those sculptured carvings around each window.  One other thing that was rather interesting was all the cherubs.  Serpotta would have them sort of interacting or reacting to the diorama that they were above.  It was amazing how much thought was put into each aspect of this magnificent work of art.

Bench Art

Running along the sides of each of the walls was this artistic bench.  The seat of the bench was an inlay design, and the braces for the bench were elaborately carved as well.  They do not allow anyone to sit on these benches any longer, in order to preserve them.

The Nativity

Altho all of the dioramas were incredibly beautiful, this one was my favorite.  I was so taken by the amount of detail and sense of perspective in this piece.  Besides, Christmas is my favorite holiday!

Artist Signature

I had to look really long and hard before I found Serpotta’s signature in this chapel.  It was toward the back of the chapel, and this time, his signature was a snake.  You can also see close up the intricacy of his sculpture work.

Enjoy!