Santa Maria dello Spasimo, Italy

The old monastic church of Santa Maria dello Spasimo is one of the main historical attractions of Palermo today. It was never fully completed after construction began. The church was deserted many years ago. It is in a dilapidated state today. The history of the construction of the shrine is associated with the name of a wealthy lawyer Giacomo Basilico. He was a great admirer of the image of the Suffering Virgin. He donated land from personal holdings to the monks in 1506. Giacomo Basilico decided to establish a church and monastery in honor of the Virgin Mary's image on this land.

Construction of the shrine began in 1509. But the monastery was never fully completed. Numerous military conflicts and threats stood in the way of the monks. All of Palermo's forces were focused on defending and fortifying the city during this period. The city government bought the land from the monks in 1569. This site was used for military purposes later. The historical buildings located here managed to be completely preserved only by a miracle. The monks still managed to build a church. A military camp was formed in it. But it lost its military significance at the end of the 16th century.

The building began to be used for various public events from 1582. It was converted into an infirmary during another plague epidemic in the late 17th century. The building was used as a warehouse for some time. The church building began to gradually collapse in the middle of the 18th century. A shelter for the poor was opened here in 1855. The building remained in this status until 1985. It was declared a historical monument of national significance about 30 years ago. It is used for theatrical and musical performances today. Next - Centro Financiero Confinanzas