Natale Masuccio

Natale Masuccio (1561-1619), a Sicilian Jesuit architect, was a key figure bridging the transition from Mannerism to Baroque in Sicily. After his training in Messina, he honed his architectural skills in Rome. His return journey was adventurous, as he was captured by corsairs and later liberated by the Knights of Malta. Upon returning to Sicily in 1602, he became the Jesuit "architectus provinciae" and worked on various projects on the island, including the colleges of Caltanissetta and Mineo. In Palermo, he intervened in the Casa Professa and designed the novitiate. His style, influenced by Giacomo della Porta and Michelangelo, was reflected in the Jesuit college of Messina and in the Monte di Pietà, his most famous work, completed after his death. Expelled from the Jesuits in 1616, he became the architect of the Senate of Messina, where he carried out the aqueduct and the Monte di Pietà, partially surviving the earthquake of 1908.