A roofless Gothic church, with sky instead of a vault and a tree grown up in the nave.
Distance
Area
Kalsa
Visit
40 min
Entry
Free entry
The story
Begun in 1509 and never completed: the 16th-century fortifications interrupted construction. Over the centuries it served as a theatre, a lazaretto, a warehouse and a hospital. The roofless Gothic nave, its arches open to the sky, is today one of the city's most atmospheric spaces and hosts concerts, especially jazz. Raphael painted the 'Spasimo di Sicilia' for this church; it now hangs in the Prado.