Santa Maria della Purità, Catania

The institution at this site was founded in 1775, by a Benedictine prior, with support of the Senate and private donations. Referred to in some sources as a conservatorio (orphanage), in others as a reclusorio (holding facility), the aim was to house and train orphan young girls. At the age of maturity, they could choose either to join a religious order under the rules of St Francis de Sales or marry or return to the custody of some family member. In 1787, the institute was endowed by the city treasurer don Giovanni Francesco Lullo, who required the institution to allow for enrollment 12 daughters of lawyers from Catania.^[1] By 1872, the conservatory had become the college of female education Pius IX and later named after Queen Elena.^[2]

The church was built from 1775 to 1789 using designs from Antonino Battaglia, the son of Francesco Battaglia. The convex facade recalls the baroque churches designed by Francesco, but it maintains a more classical sobriety of neoclassicism with corinthian pilasters, and less extraneous decoration. Above the portal is a Virgin under a clam-shell with a banner extolling purity.