Shrines of Italy: Church of Jesus (Casa Professa)

The Church of Jesus, better known as the Casa Professa, is often referred to by the locals as "the church you don’t expect.” From the outside, in the tiny crowded streets of Palermo Sicily, it practically blends in to the surrounding city. The exterior façade is of course a Jesuit design, recognizable by its curved, triangular shape, but is nevertheless unremarkable.

Many people are surprised therefore upon entering the church to find one of the most magnificent and richly decorated sanctuaries in all of Italy. I myself found the finer details of this church to be truly stunning. This was my first introduction to Sicilian Baroque; an architectural style unique to the island of Sicily. Like standard Baroque, there is artistry woven into the very structure of the church itself, but instead of gold, the Sicilian’s opted for white marble. From a distance, this gives the church the appearance of being covered with lace; but the closer you get, the more symbolism there is to uncover, and the more stories there are to tell. 

One such story pertains to the grandest side chapel in the church, once dedicated to the Japanese Martyrs converted by the Jesuits in the early 1600’s, and later dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with a large painting of the latter having been commissioned in 1965. Surrounding this chapel are meticulous carvings of Cherubim, and occasional scenes depicting events from the lives of many Jesuit saints.

Directly adjacent to this chapel is another which contains a large wooden crucifix mounted to a golden reliquary containing various relics associated with the Jesuit Order. Throughout the church, the collection of dedicated side altars, marble carvings, and scattered paintings coalesce to convey the story of the Jesuit Order from the church’s founding in 1636 until the present day. It was declared a national monument in 1892, and thus a significant effort was made to restore the church after an accidental bombing in World War II destroyed the main dome and part of the sanctuary.

Today, the sanctuary is as resplendent as ever, featuring some masterful artwork depicting various events from biblical history, such as the meeting between Achimelech and King David, as well as the interaction between Ahab and his wife Jezebel.

Directly behind the main altar is a doorway leading to a large but modest museum, containing two stories of artifacts from the Jesuit Order that are worth mentioning. These artifacts consist mainly of some old tapestries and paintings that were once associated with the Church of Jesus, but there are a few that stand out among the others as particularly unique. One of these is a tall statue of Our Lady which presumably occupied the Church prior to one of its many renovations and restorations over the centuries. It was no doubt moved to this museum in order to preserve it, as it became too old and fragile for public display.

The second story of this museum contains most of the aforementioned paintings, and one in particular which caught my attention was a depiction of the Founder of the Jesuit Order, Saint Ignatius of Loyola receiving consolation from Our Lady, who is herself being offered a crown of Queenship by her Son. This representation tracks well with the historical account of Ignatius, who became a priest at the prompting of Our Lady during an apparition.

A few stories down, there’s actually a crypt underneath the church which contains the tombs of various members of the Jesuit Order that were once buried here. While the crypt itself is rather small, it’s definitely worth checking out if you ever find yourself in this church. Personally, I can’t help but feel a bit like Indiana Jones walking through places like these.

I rounded off this trip by climbing back up to the third story chapel, just above the museum. The styling here is of course very similar to that of the main church, albeit far more simplistic. It was once used as a private oratory for the Jesuit Fathers residing on the premises, and its most unique aspect consists of the of large marble statues lining the walls, which are allegorical representations of the virtues; such as Prudence, Wisdom, and Fortitude.

Having explored this complex from top to bottom, I can confidently say that the Church of Jesus is one of my favorite churches of all time. As the local expression suggests, it really is a church you wouldn’t expect to find, but in my experience, it is the unexpected places which leave strongest impressions.