The Site: San Mamiliano

Located in Palermo, the Church of San Mamiliano (formerly Santa Zita) forms part of an ancient Benedictine monastic complex. Severely damaged during World War II and later reconstructed, it still bears remarkable features of its former splendor: the 1516 tribune and Santa Cita arch by Antonello Gagini, the Platamone family tomb (1519–27), a Pietà by Giorgio da Milano (15th century), and the richly adorned Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary, featuring marble inlays by Gioacchino Vitagliano after designs by Giacomo Serpotta.These rediscovered artworks —once forgotten— bear witness to Sicily’s immense cultural legacy and to the often fraught relationship between art and human agency.But above all, San Mamiliano remains a temple: a welcoming space where humanity gathers, united by ideals of love, fraternity, and respect. And yet, even this sacred space has known violence —its walls bear scars of war, revealing the fragility of the human condition.

"In 1915, the church was closed to worship: it was first repurposed as a warehouse, then as a courtroom. Reconsecrated in 1923 and reopened for religious functions, it was later partially destroyed by bombs during three air raids (on February 22, March 1, and April 16) in 1943, rendering it unfit for use.The first air raid, on February 22, caused a large breach at the intersection of the south nave and the transept, along with broken fixtures and other minor damage. During the second raid, the area corresponding to the Gospel-side aisle was hit, largely collapsing and causing considerable damage to the church interior. The third raid involved an explosive bomb that caused the collapse of a section of the north lateral nave.The present-day Church of San Mamiliano, also known as Santa Cita, bore visible scars from the 1943 bombings. By the early 1950s, nothing had yet filled the void left by the destroyed left nave. Through the remaining opening, many impoverished locals of the time could easily take whatever had not been salvaged.Poorly dressed children often entered, and when they exited, they always had something in hand—large colored stones or pieces of what appeared to be white stucco.Thus, the Dominican temple remained, for the writer and many aspiring Palermitans over the years, the ultimate example of a stripped and desacralized church. For a long time, religious services were held in the nearby Oratory of the Rosary of Santa Zita. The church remained closed for nearly ten years until June 2, 1952, when it was reopened for worship and elevated to the status of parish church under the title San Mamiliano, Bishop and Martyr by Cardinal Ernesto Ruffini."

Dr. Maria Oliveri

The original church and hospital, dedicated to the Tuscan saint Santa Zita, were founded in the early 14th century by a merchant of Lucchese origin. In 1428, an heir of the founder donated the entire complex to a group of Dominican friars who had separated from the nearby convent of San Domenico. The new community completed the renovation of the original building in 1458.

By the early 16th century, it became common for wealthy families to be granted burial spaces within sacred places—practices that generated income for the religious orders, helping to fund the upkeep and embellishment of churches.

The true reconstruction, however, took place in the final quarter of the 16th century. The new three-aisle structure, designed by architect Giuseppe Giacalone, reached monumental proportions. To accommodate it, the adjacent Church of the Forty Martyrs of the Pisan Nation was purchased and sacrificed.

Still in situ today are the works of Antonello Gagini, one of the greatest Sicilian sculptors: the tribune and arch of the main chapel, originally created for the earlier church and adorned with scenes from the life of Saint Zita; the tribune and arch of the Platamone Chapel; and the funerary monuments of Blasco Lanza and Caterina Cardona-Platamone, created by Antonio Scirotta.

Several important panel paintings by Vincenzo De Pavia, once housed on the altars, are now preserved at the Regional Gallery of Palazzo Abatellis.

Post-War Restoration and Surviving Treasures

Despite the devastating damage inflicted on the building during World War II, the Chapel of the Rosary, located in the transept and intended for the burials of confraternity members, remains visible. Its walls are adorned with polychrome marble and the Joyful and Sorrowful Mysteries by Gioacchino Vitagliano, while the vault, frescoed by Pietro Dell’Aquila, depicts the Glorious Mysteries.

The Chapel of the Crucifix, granted in 1614 to Ottavio and Giovanna Lanza di Trabia, is still preserved. It includes wall decorations, a polychrome marble paliotto on the altar, and a beautiful 15th-century Pietà recently attributed to Giorgio da Milano.

Today, the Church of Santa Cita—now home to the parish of San Mamiliano—continues to safeguard important works, including a 1603 altarpiece by Filippo Paladini depicting Saint Agnes of Montepulciano.

From ilgeniodipalermo.com