The Bonajuto or Salvatorello Chapel is a beautiful monument in Catania, a Byzantine religious building in Catania, erected between the 6th and 9th centuries AD.
The Chapel is located inside the Baroque-style Palazzo Bonajuto in via Bonajuto 9\13, in the famous Civita district of Catania.
This monument in Catania has a square plan and a Greek cross, surmounted by a marvellous dome, inside the three apses («cellae trichorae» or «trefoil church») are similar to the Byzantine cube present in Sicily.
Today the chapel is buried 3 meters above street level. The building, which has testimonies ranging from the Middle Ages to the nineteenth century, survived the various eruptions and earthquakes that hit the city, including the devastating one of 1693.
The Bonajuto family took possession of the Chapel in the fifteenth century and built their residence there in the following century, until then the chapel was dedicated to the SS. Salvatore, a name he probably kept until the 18th century.
In the 18th century, the Chapel underwent restoration and restructuring of the entrance and was the destination of the journey of the French painter Jean Houel who immortalized it in a painting kept in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. Furthermore, the Chapel of the magnificent monument in Catania was restored by Paolo Orsi and Sebastiano Agati in the thirties.
Today, thanks to the new management, it can be visited from Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 to 13:00, paying an entrance ticket, and in the afternoon and on Monday, by reservation.
The structure is also home to public and private events, such as, for example, conferences, seminars, wine tastings, exhibitions and shows.
Hours Guided tours: Tuesday-Sunday 9:00-13:00, Afternoon and Monday by reservation for groups.
Ticket: €3.00/ €2.00 reduced and schools