Chiesa di Santa Lucia alla Badia

Chiesa di Santa Lucia alla Badia is a small Baroque church on Piazza Duomo in Ortigia, Syracuse, dedicated to the city’s patron saint. Its ornate façade and frescoes on the walls and ceiling make it a worthwhile pause beside the cathedral. Inside, look for displays about Saint Lucy, including relics and clothing, and take time to read the explanatory notes. Caravaggio’s The Burial of Saint Lucy is no longer here; the church has a copy, while the original is at the Basilica of Santa Lucia al Sepolcro.

A church rebuilt after the earthquake

Santa Lucia alla Badia stands at the south end of Piazza Duomo, close to Syracuse Cathedral. The church is dedicated to Saint Lucy, Syracuse’s patron saint. Although its history reaches back to the 15th century, the building you see today was constructed between 1695 and 1703, after the 1693 earthquake destroyed the earlier church.

Its Baroque façade adds to the changing architectural character of the square. A wrought-iron balcony crosses the façade; cloistered nuns once watched the life of Piazza Duomo from it. Inside, look for frescoes on the walls and ceiling, along with paintings and written notes that explain the church’s connection to Saint Lucy.

Saint Lucy and the Caravaggio painting

The church’s displays include relics and clothing associated with Saint Lucy. The original of Caravaggio’s The Burial of Saint Lucy is no longer here. It was returned to the church for which it was painted, the Basilica of Santa Lucia al Sepolcro in Syracuse’s Borgata neighbourhood. Santa Lucia alla Badia has a copy, so check the label or information inside if you want to distinguish it from the original.

Saint Lucy’s feast is marked in Syracuse in May and December. On the first Sunday of May, a procession carries her statue from the cathedral to Santa Lucia alla Badia, a short distance across the square. Treat the church as a place of worship: dress respectfully and do not take photographs inside.