This is my favorite church in Palermo – San Giuseppe dei Teatini. I simply feel incredibly comfortable there. There is something about the atmosphere of this place that I really love.
The Theatines were a Catholic religious order that built this church in the 17th century. One of the defining rules of the order was that its members were not allowed to own land, earn an income, or even ask for alms. This was strictly forbidden by the founders of the order. They lived entirely on whatever people chose to give them voluntarily. If one day there was no food, they simply fasted and waited. The Theatines called this complete trust in Divine Providence. Saint Cajetan, one of the founders of the order, made sure this rule was followed faithfully. He later became the patron saint of people looking for work and those facing financial difficulties.
Before the Theatines arrived, there was a small Church of Saint Joseph on this site belonging to the guild of Palermo’s carpenters. The Theatines chose to preserve this dedication. Even today, you can see a statue of Saint Joseph on the church façade, with the coat of arms of Palermo’s carpenters’ guild placed beneath it.
Beneath the church, the Theatines built an underground chapel dedicated to Madonna della Provvidenza, who was considered one of Palermo’s patronesses in the 17th century. Beneath her altar, a spring was discovered whose water is believed to have miraculous powers. Today, inside San Giuseppe dei Teatini, there is a small fountain that still supplies water from that very underground spring.