Oratorio del Rosario di San Domenico

Frommer's Review

Located in the area of the colorful open-air market, Mercato della Vucciria, the Oratory of the Rosary of St. Dominic was founded in the closing years of the 16th century by the Society of the Holy Rosary. Two of its most outstanding members were the sculptor Giacomo Serpotta and the painter Pietro Novelli, both of whom left a legacy of their artistic genius in this oratory.

In allure, this oratory is the equal of the Oratorio di San Lorenzo, which also displays Serpotta's artistic flavor. The sculptor excelled in the use of marble and polychrome, but it was in stucco that he earned his greatest fame. From 1714 to 1717, he decorated this second oratory with his delightfully expressive putti (cherubs), who are locked forever in a playground of happy antics.

Themes throughout the oratory are wide ranging, depicting everything from Allegories of the Virtues to the Apocalypse of St. John. Particularly graphic is a depiction of a writhing "Devil Falling from Heaven." At the high altar is a masterpiece by Anthony van Dyck, Madonna of the Rosary (1628). Pietro Novelli frescoed the ceiling with the Coronation of the Virgin.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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