Santa Maria del Soccorso Church

Belisarius made it built in 536. It was an Orthodox Church dedicated to Santa Sophya.

The church had already been renovated in XV c. when, in 1461, it was entirely built again. Of its first building we can admire only the main door while another church for the Dominican nuns of Santa Caterina and a monastery were built up. The monastery hoses today the rooms of the revenue office.

The church is one of the most ancient in Trapani. It had been built a first time in 536 A.D. by will of the Byzantine general Belisarius who dedicated it to Santa Sophya. In 1461 the church was entirely built again and enlarged with a monastery ruled by the Dominican nuns of Santa Caterina who took care about the young girls' education. Only the main door is the same of the former building together with a painting of the church now preserved in the Santa Maria del Soccorso chapel. We can still admire the ancient floor in  policrome marble marquetries by Luciano Gambina, XVIIIc.. On the main door top there is a statue representing the Madonna del Soccorso by Giuseppe Milanti. Inside the church a single aisle shows Spanish pictorial effects with its squared apse. There are 5 altars ornated by Federico Siracusa with very fine marbles. On the high altar  there is a painting representing the Madonna del Rosario by Borremans, while  the altar at its right is that of Madonna del Soccorso by Giovanni Biagio Amico.
Going on we find the altar dedicated to san Domenico with a painting by Pietro Novelli and on the left other two altars with a painting by Carreca representing Santa Caterina da Siena. Four plaster statues support two organs. Today, the old monastery is used by the revenue office.