Chiesa del Purgatorio
On Via San Francesco d'Assisi, one street back from Trapani's main corso, a Baroque façade ripples with the kind of controlled drama that Giovanni Biagio Amico borrowed from Borromini — concave and convex surfaces pulling the eye upward past twelve stuccoed Apostles carved by Alberto Orlando. Step inside and the church's real purpose becomes clear: this is where the Misteri live.
The twenty sculptural groups that fill the three-naved interior spend most of the year here, waiting. Each figure — wood face and hands over a cork core, fabric robes stiffened with a glue-and-gesso mixture called carchet — represents a scene from the Passion, and each was commissioned by a specific craft guild whose members still carry it through the city every Good Friday.
💛 What travellers fall for
People who've timed a visit around the statues say the explanatory panels (in English, Italian, French and German) repay a slow read — the guild-to-scene pairings are the real story. Fishermen carry the foot-washing; goldsmiths carry the Separation. A small donation gets you a guided walk-through of the carchet technique that's worth every cent.
The story behind Chiesa del Purgatorio
A church dedicated to Saints Fabiano and Sebastiano stood on this site in the sixteenth century. In 1601 the Congregazione delle Anime del Purgatorio took it over, and construction of the current building began in 1688 to a design by Don Pietro Castro. The undulating façade — its rhythm owing a clear debt to Francesco Borromini — was completed in 1712 by Giovanni Biagio Amico, who is buried inside; a memorial plaque placed by the Confraternita di San Michele Arcangelo marks his tomb. The marble pillars and polychrome balustrades were added by stonemasons Vincenzo and Giovan Battista Incrivaglia in 1754.
WWII bombing damaged the church severely, and it only reopened to worship in 1962. From 1960 it became the permanent home of the Misteri — a procession tradition stretching back more than four centuries, in which each sculptural group is owned and carried by a specific Trapanese guild.
Good to know
Hours shift frequently, so arrive on a weekday morning in summer when opening is most reliable (7:45 AM). If you're in Trapani on Good Friday, doors open at 2 PM and the platforms leave shortly after — each carried by 22 men for a 24-hour circuit of the historic centre. Allow 30 to 60 minutes inside.
Where is Chiesa del Purgatorio?
More tickets & tours for Chiesa del Purgatorio
Book directly at the provider
What travellers say about Chiesa del Purgatorio
Beautiful church in Baroc style. Only saw it from outside, since it was lunch time on Monday, would open at 16.00, but definely worth passing in front of it!
located next to ruins, with movie theater style seats inside
Charmant church from the outside. Unfortunately the opening hours on Google Maps are not correct. The church seems to closed for visitors. You may catch a glimpse from the interior in case there’s a wedding or conference. Very disappointing!
Lovely
Nice place worth a visit
More of Trapani
Discover where to stay, what to do and the best deals for your trip.
Explore Trapani →More attractions in Trapani
All of Trapani →
Background adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) · map data © OpenStreetMap contributors · ratings & place photos via Google · other photos with per-image credit. Ticket links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.