Constructed in imitation of the
Pantheon in Rome, this church was built as an ex voto by Ferdinand I for
having regained his lost reign.
According to records, the first stone was laid in 1817 but the building
was not completed until 29 years later.It was
designed by the architect Pietro Bianchi.
The church was raised above street level and looks onto Piazza del Plebiscito,
opposite the Royal Palace.Its dome is 53 meters high
and is flanked by two smaller side domes.The pronaos on
the facade culminates in a triangular tympanum on which stand the statues
representing Religion, St. Ferdinand of Castiglia and St. Francis of
Paola.The imposing colonnade, which gives the square its attractive
semi-circular appearance, was designed by Leopoldo Laperuta (early 19th
century).
The interior, with its circular plan, contains a fine high altar decorated with
an abundance of semi-precious stones, and numerous sculptures and paintings.
The high altar was designed by Fuga, the architect who planned the majestic
building in Piazza Carlo III, used for many years as an almshouse.
The elegant square has recently been closed to traffic and completely renovated.
On the side of the square opposite the church, with its loggia similar to that
St. Peter's Square in Rome, stands the majestic Palazzo Reale (Royal
Palace), the work of the architect Domenico Fontana.
Piazza Plebiscito was also known as Largo di Palazzo as it was here
that the people gathered to celebrate while their sovereigns appeared on the
palace balconies for ceremonies, coronations and visits from foreign kings and
queens.In the middle of the square there are the statue
of Charles III Bourbon and his son Ferdinand IV. Ferdinand's statue and his
horse are by Canova while Charles' statue is by Calì.
