Church of the Annunciation of Palazzolo Acreide
The Church of the Annunciation in Palazzolo Acreide is one of the oldest and most beautiful churches in the city.
It was built in the 13th-14th century, severely damaged by the earthquake of 1693 and then rebuilt by the architect Matteo Tranisi.
The façade, despite being unfinished, contains a precious architecture in its portal characterized by four twisted coupled columns , richly adorned with vine shoots, apples quinces, pomegranates and other life-sized fruits that represent typical rural motifs of the Baroque. The portal also has an elaborate and fascinating entablature.
The interior of the church has three naves. In the high arches of the central nave the rural ornamental motif returns. Of considerable value is the internal cornice which presents various decorative elements and the vault with light eighteenth-century stuccoes. Another valuable element of the Annunziata church is the high altar in colored marble depicting birds and delicate floral motifs that recall the allegory of Spring. On the altar stands a tabernacle carved in marble and characterized by a myriad of columns surmounted by the heads of cherubs.
The church houses a 1474 painting on wood by Antonello da Messina. The masterpiece was kept inside the church until 1906, it was later purchased by the Syracuse superintendency for conservation and restoration, and today it is exhibited at the Bellomo Museum in Syracuse.
