At the southern corner of Piazza Duomo, the church of Santa Lucia alla Badia holds an absolute masterpiece: the "Burial of Saint Lucy", painted by Caravaggio in 1608 during his Sicilian flight.
Saint Lucy is the patron saint of Syracuse, martyred in the city in 304 AD. The church, rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake, combines a baroque facade with a single-nave rococo interior, designed for the Cistercian nuns of the adjacent monastery.
The Caravaggio was painted in a few months between 1608 and 1609, when the artist, having escaped from Malta, found refuge in Syracuse. The canvas is striking for the emptiness that dominates the scene: two gigantic gravediggers in the foreground, the saint's body on the ground and above, an enormous wall of light and shadow.
Practical tips
- Free entry; the church is closed on Mondays and in the middle of the day. Photographing the painting is not allowed.
- On 13 December, Saint Lucy's day, the city celebrates its patron with a solemn procession.
