The church of the Anime Sante del Purgatorio is in Augusta. Its true titular saint is St Nicholas: the altarpiece of the high altar in fact shows the saint with the souls in Purgatory. The name by which it is known comes from the Arciconfraternita dei Bianchi, dedicated to the Crucifix and to the Madonna del Suffragio, which had its seat here. With the archconfraternity gone, the church now houses the confraternity of the Madonna Odigitria.
What to see
The façade is Baroque of good quality, and the design is said to be by Filippo Juvarra. The bell tower is an addition: the church originally had none, and the Neoclassical one you see was built in the mid-nineteenth century. After the Second World War there was a plan to replace it with one better suited to the façade.
The interior is rather bare, but elegant. The best piece is the altarpiece of the high altar, recently restored.
Visiting
Opening and service times should be checked on the spot or with the confraternity that looks after the church.
Our editors' tip
The Bianchi were nobles, and had three duties that explain the church's name: to pray for the souls of the dead, to assist those condemned to death and to help the poor.
