Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore and Sinatra Loggia - Ispica (RG) - Noto Valley - Sicily

It was built throughout the eighteenth century. It was built to house the precious simulacrum of the Santissimo Cristo alla Colonna, which inexplicably escaped the destruction of the old church in Cava Ispica due to the terrible earthquake of 1693, which destroyed all of eastern Sicily. The loggia is one of the rare remaining examples of a structure widely in use between 600 and 700, often made of wood for the fairs held on the occasion of the most important religious holidays... #tuttitaly

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The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Ispica, located in the Val di Noto province of Ragusa, is a precious artistic and historical treasure. Built immediately after the 1693 earthquake in Sicily that devastated the East, it was erected to house the simulacrum of the Most Holy Christ at the Column, miraculously saved from destruction.

Initially, the Most Holy Christ chapel was built using materials from the old church in the Cava Ispica. Over the years, the building was expanded and enriched with altars dedicated to Santa Maria Maggiore, Sant'Anna, and San Corrado. Under the guidance of architect Rosario Gagliardi, the work continued until completion around 1725, when the basilica was consecrated.

During the following centuries, the basilica suffered damage due to earthquakes, and architect Vincenzo Sinatra's intervention led to the semi-elliptical loggia inspired by Bernini's colonnade at St. Peter's. Giuseppe Janforma completed the stuccoes between 1750 and 1761, while the entire church's pictorial decoration was entrusted to Olivio Sozzi, one of the most renowned painters of the 18th century in Sicily.

Despite Sozzi's premature death in 1765, the basilica was adorned with frescoes and paintings of great artistic value. In 1768, Vito D'Anna painted the picture on the main altar, contributing to the building's creative richness. Due to its historical and artistic significance, the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore was declared a national monument in 1908. It is now considered one of Sicily's great pictorial masterpieces of the 18th century.

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