Description
Baroque ornament and a Jesuit museum under one roof: the Church of the Gesù and Casa Professa tour is a short visit to one of Palermo's most celebrated landmarks, led by a live guide who explains how the Jesuits left their mark on the city. The whole outing takes about 45 minutes.
The first part of the visit is the church itself. Its Baroque architecture and richly worked decoration have long drawn visitors, and your guide traces the story from the building's origins to its place in how Palermo sees itself, both culturally and in matters of faith.
The museum comes next. Its paintings, sculptures and decorative objects largely come from the church and from Jesuit colleges across Sicily, and together they show how the order used art and symbols and what it gave to the city's artistic and spiritual heritage.
- Guided tour of the church, about 30 minutes
- Entrance to the church and to the Casa Professa museum
- Free time afterwards to wander at your own pace
When the guided part ends, you are free to stay on in the church and museum. Show your ticket to the staff member at the table inside the church. Guides speak English, Italian, French or Spanish.