{"id":3888,"date":"2026-09-03T16:49:31","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T14:49:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.treffpunkt-sizilien.de\/sights\/casa-professa-chiesa-del-gesu-palermo-baroque-in-marble\/"},"modified":"2026-09-03T16:49:52","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T14:49:52","slug":"casa-professa-palermo","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.treffpunkt-sizilien.de\/en\/sights\/casa-professa-palermo\/","title":{"rendered":"Casa Professa (Chiesa del Ges\u00f9), Palermo: Baroque in Marble"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"ts-wxbar\"><div class=\"ts-wx ts-wx--ph\" data-ts-ort=\"palermo\" data-ts-fc=\"\" data-ts-titel=\"\"><span class=\"ts-wx__loading\">Wetter wird geladen \u2026<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"ts-verdict\"><strong>In short:<\/strong> The <strong>Chiesa del Ges&ugrave;<\/strong> &ndash; known in Palermo simply as <strong>&ldquo;Casa Professa&rdquo;<\/strong> after the adjoining Jesuit house &ndash; is one of Sicily&#8217;s oldest and most magnificent Jesuit churches and a key work of Sicilian Baroque. Its interior is almost entirely covered in coloured marble inlay (<em>marmi mischi<\/em>) and stucco. It stands in the heart of the old town, in the Albergheria quarter, right by the Ballar&ograve; market. Allow a good half hour for the church; with the oratory and museum it becomes a good hour. Admission to the church is usually free or for a small donation &ndash; please check exact times and prices beforehand.<\/p>\n\n<h2>Quick Facts<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"ts-facts\">\n<li><strong>Type:<\/strong> Jesuit church, Sicilian High Baroque<\/li>\n<li><strong>Location:<\/strong> Piazza Casa Professa, Albergheria\/Ballar&ograve; quarter<\/li>\n<li><strong>Construction began:<\/strong> from 1564, decoration continued into the 18th century<\/li>\n<li><strong>Duration:<\/strong> 30&ndash;45 min. (up to 1.5 hrs with oratory and museum)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Admission:<\/strong> church usually free \/ small donation &ndash; check beforehand<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sundays:<\/strong> services only, no sightseeing visits<\/li>\n<li><strong>Without a car:<\/strong> very good &ndash; walkable from the Quattro Canti<\/li>\n<li><strong>Combines well with:<\/strong> Ballar&ograve; market, old-town walking tour<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2>History<\/h2>\n<p>The Jesuits arrived in Palermo in the mid-16th century, and Casa Professa in the Albergheria quarter became their most important base in the city. Construction of the church began from 1564 to designs by the order&#8217;s architect Giovanni Tristano, modelled on the Roman mother church <em>Il Ges&ugrave;<\/em>: a single, wide nave with a broad transept and deep side chapels &ndash; a layout that placed preaching and the solemn Jesuit liturgy at its centre.<\/p>\n<p>While the shell of the building remained relatively plain, the real richness unfolded only in the 17th and 18th centuries. Over generations, stonemasons, sculptors and stucco artists covered the walls with coloured marble inlay and sculpted ornament, until almost every surface was decorated. This made Casa Professa one of the most impressive examples of Sicilian Baroque anywhere.<\/p>\n<p>World War II brought a severe blow: on <strong>9 May 1943<\/strong> an aerial bomb struck the church, the <strong>dome collapsed<\/strong>, and the transept and presbytery were badly damaged; some of the frescoes were lost forever. Over the following decades the church was restored and the dome rebuilt using modern techniques. After extensive work, Casa Professa reopened with great ceremony in <strong>2009<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n<h2>What You&#8217;ll See<\/h2>\n<p>The first impression on entering is overwhelming: an interior in which hardly any surface is left undecorated.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Marmi mischi<\/strong> &ndash; the extensive inlay work of multicoloured marble and semi-precious stones is the main draw of the visit. Blossoms, tendrils, vases and figurative scenes are set into the stone so precisely that they look painted.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Stucco and frescoes<\/strong> &ndash; sculpted figures, cherubs and ornaments in white stucco set accents above the colourful walls; the vaults carry ceiling paintings from the heyday of the decoration.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Dome<\/strong> &ndash; today&#8217;s dome is a reconstruction following the wartime destruction of 1943, once again closing off the crossing above.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Oratory and museum<\/strong> &ndash; the complex also includes a richly decorated oratory and a small treasury with sacred objects, silverwork and coral pieces. Beneath the church lies a crypt; whether it&#8217;s accessible depends on tours and opening hours &ndash; check beforehand.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2>Opening &amp; Admission<\/h2>\n<p>The church itself can usually be visited free of charge or for a small donation; admission may be charged for the oratory and treasury. Opening hours vary by season, and on Sundays only services are held. It&#8217;s best to check current details shortly before your visit.<\/p>\n<table class=\"ts-decision-matrix\">\n<thead><tr><th>Topic<\/th><th>Details<\/th><th>Note<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr><td>Church<\/td><td>usually free or small donation<\/td><td>check times beforehand<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Opening hours<\/td><td>morning and afternoon, seasonal<\/td><td>summer\/winter differ<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Sunday<\/td><td>services only<\/td><td>no tourist visits<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Oratory &amp; Museum<\/td><td>small admission possible<\/td><td>limited opening<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n<h2>Planning Your Visit<\/h2>\n<p>Casa Professa combines wonderfully with a stroll through the neighbouring <a href=\"https:\/\/www.treffpunkt-sizilien.de\/sehenswuerdigkeiten\/mercato-di-ballaro\/\">Ballar&ograve;<\/a> market: first through the colourful market bustle of fish, fruit and street-food stalls, then into the church&#8217;s hushed Baroque splendour &ndash; a contrast that makes the Albergheria quarter special. Allow half an hour for the church, about an hour with the oratory and museum. Dress as you would for any church visit; there are a few steps at the entrance. A rainy day works well here, since the appeal lies almost entirely indoors.<\/p>\n\n<h2>Getting There<\/h2>\n<p>The church stands centrally in the old town of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.treffpunkt-sizilien.de\/en\/places\/palermo\/\">Palermo<\/a>, just a few minutes&#8217; walk from the Quattro Canti and the Ballar&ograve; market. The best way to arrive is on foot: the old-town lanes are narrow and largely fall within the limited-traffic zone (ZTL) &ndash; don&#8217;t drive your own car in, but leave it in a car park at the edge of the old town. It&#8217;s about a 15-minute walk from the main train station. Anyone exploring the old town anyway will find Casa Professa almost automatically on the way.<\/p>\n\n<h2>Best Time to Visit<\/h2>\n<p>The interior rewards a visit year-round, since the weather outside doesn&#8217;t matter. For strolling the surrounding old town, spring and autumn are most pleasant, when Palermo isn&#8217;t in the summer heat; the lively Ballar&ograve; market has its best atmosphere in the morning. For a general overview, see our piece on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.treffpunkt-sizilien.de\/en\/best-time-to-visit-sicily\/\">Best Time to Visit Sicily<\/a>, more on the quarter under <a href=\"https:\/\/www.treffpunkt-sizilien.de\/sehenswuerdigkeiten\/mercato-di-ballaro\/\">Mercato di Ballar&ograve;<\/a>, and on the city under <a href=\"https:\/\/www.treffpunkt-sizilien.de\/en\/places\/palermo\/\">Palermo<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n<div class=\"ts-faq\">\n<details class=\"ts-faq__item\"><summary>Why is the church called &#8220;Casa Professa&#8221;?<\/summary><div class=\"ts-faq__a\"><p>The name refers to the adjoining Jesuit professed house (Casa Professa), the order&#8217;s most important base in Palermo. Colloquially the whole church is named after it; its official name is Chiesa del Ges&ugrave;.<\/p><\/div><\/details>\n<details class=\"ts-faq__item\"><summary>What is &#8220;marmi mischi&#8221;?<\/summary><div class=\"ts-faq__a\"><p>These are extensive inlays of multicoloured marble and semi-precious stones. In Casa Professa they cover the interior walls almost without a gap, and are considered the high point of this Sicilian Baroque technique.<\/p><\/div><\/details>\n<details class=\"ts-faq__item\"><summary>Was the church destroyed during the war?<\/summary><div class=\"ts-faq__a\"><p>On 9 May 1943 an aerial bomb struck the church; the dome collapsed, and the transept and presbytery were badly damaged. The church was restored, the dome rebuilt, and it reopened in 2009.<\/p><\/div><\/details>\n<details class=\"ts-faq__item\"><summary>Does admission cost anything?<\/summary><div class=\"ts-faq__a\"><p>The church can usually be visited free of charge or for a small donation; admission may be charged for the oratory and treasury. Since times and prices change, it&#8217;s best to check shortly before your visit.<\/p><\/div><\/details>\n<details class=\"ts-faq__item\"><summary>Is Casa Professa near the Ballar&ograve; market?<\/summary><div class=\"ts-faq__a\"><p>Yes, in the Albergheria quarter right by the Ballar&ograve; market. A visit combines ideally with a stroll through the market.<\/p><\/div><\/details>\n<details class=\"ts-faq__item\"><summary>How much time should I allow?<\/summary><div class=\"ts-faq__a\"><p>30 to 45 minutes are enough for the church. If you also want to see the oratory and small treasury, allow about an hour.<\/p><\/div><\/details>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"ts-offer\">\n<h3>Discover Palermo&#8217;s Old Town<\/h3>\n<p>We combine Casa Professa with the Ballar&ograve; market, the Cathedral and the Arab-Norman heritage, and book your accommodation at the same time. Just send us a no-obligation travel request.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"ts-offer__cta\" href=\"https:\/\/www.treffpunkt-sizilien.de\/reise-anfragen\/\">Request your trip now<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2>Sources &amp; Updates<\/h2>\n<p>Basis: editorial local knowledge and publicly available information on the Chiesa del Ges&ugrave; (Casa Professa) in Palermo &ndash; including construction beginning in 1564 to designs by Giovanni Tristano, the wartime destruction of the dome on 9 May 1943, and the 2009 reopening. Opening hours, admission, and the accessibility of the oratory, treasury and crypt are time-dependent and should be checked before your visit. As of: 13 July 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.treffpunkt-sizilien.de\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Sights in Sicily\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.treffpunkt-sizilien.de\/en\/sights\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Casa Professa\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.treffpunkt-sizilien.de\/en\/sights\/casa-professa-palermo\/\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Church\",\"name\":\"Chiesa del Gesu (Casa Professa)\",\"description\":\"Chiesa del Gesu, known in Palermo as Casa Professa: one of Sicily's oldest and most magnificent Jesuit churches, a key work of Sicilian Baroque with lavish marble inlay (marmi mischi) and stucco. 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It stands in the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":3675,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3888","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.treffpunkt-sizilien.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3888","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.treffpunkt-sizilien.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.treffpunkt-sizilien.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.treffpunkt-sizilien.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.treffpunkt-sizilien.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3888"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.treffpunkt-sizilien.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3888\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3889,"href":"https:\/\/www.treffpunkt-sizilien.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3888\/revisions\/3889"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.treffpunkt-sizilien.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3675"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.treffpunkt-sizilien.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3888"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}