CHURCH OF THE GESÙ, Interior

The interior of the Church of the Gesù is sure to leave you speechless: the decorations are the most extraordinary in Palermo. This is not only one of the finest examples of Sicilian Baroque, but indeed one of the finest works in Europe from the period.

As I mentioned, the original sixteenth-century church was plastered in white throughout, to transmit a mystical sensation of light, perfectly suitable for conveying the profound spirituality of the Jesuit Order which placed an accent on sobriety, the value of prayer and meditation. Later, however, many churches were completely renovated, with the addition of elaborate decoration designed to highlight the victory of Catholicism over Protestantism that was clear to all, at least in Italy.

This church was no exception, and was thus embellished with incredible decorative elements in “mischio” marble: a marble on which inlay patterns are created by placing extra-thin pieces of stones – shaped to compose the desired pattern – on top of a base slab a few centimeters thick. The “tra-mischio” marble technique consisted of then adding relief figures virtually all over, to create even more spectacular effects. This technique, difficult and extremely expensive to carry out, was used to bring a magnificent finish to particularly significant altars and chapels....