ORATORY OF THE ROSARY, Oratory Of The Rosary

Hi, my name’s Jill, and I’m your personal guide. Along with MyWoWo, I’d like to welcome you to one of the Wonders of the World: the Oratory of the Rosary.

The Oratory of the Rosary, at the Church of Santa Cita, is a marvelous masterpiece by the stucco artist Giacomo Serpotta.

Oratories were places in which members – noblemen or rich merchants – would gather to recite the rosary, or a series of Hail Marys, sometimes followed by psalms. This custom grew following the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, when, according to legend, prayer induced the Madonna to overturn the Muslim fleet with wind, thus allowing for a Christian victory.

To decorate the Oratory, the Company of the Most Holy Rosary of Santa Cita, one of the wealthiest and most prestigious in Palermo, engaged the renowned stucco artist Giacomo Serpotta, at the peak of his fame at the time following the success obtained in two other oratories in the city. In 32 years, between 1686 and 1718, the artist created a magnificent masterpiece that brought a luminous, sophisticated ambience to the oratory....