Collegio dei Gesuiti, Jesuit college and church complex in Mazara del Vallo, Italy

The Collegio dei Gesuiti, with the adjoining church of Sant'Ignazio, stands on Piazza Plebiscito. The church has an elliptical plan with eight pairs of columns, but only its facade and lower interior section remain after the dome collapsed in 1936. The cloister has twenty-four Doric columns, and the two-storey facade opens through a large Baroque portal with telamons.

The Jesuits began building the college in 1672 to designs by Giacomo Napoli, completing it in 1675 as a centre for philosophy and theology. In 1701 the adjoining church of Sant'Ignazio was erected, attributed to Angelo Italia or, in newer studies, to Andrea Pozzo. The Jesuits left Mazara in 1770 and their assets passed to the diocese; after Italian unification the complex was absorbed by the State.

The former Jesuit college now houses the civic museum and a library, and two rooms display sculptures and graphic works by the Mazara-born artist Pietro Consagra. The complex also serves as a multipurpose cultural centre.

The site is located at Piazza Plebiscito and is easily reached on foot, with ample space to explore the cloister and exhibition areas. Plan your visit during daylight hours when natural light highlights the architectural details and columns.

The detached frescoes from the church's dome are now kept at the Museo diocesano mazzarese, so the paintings survive apart from the building. The elliptical church had eight pairs of columns, and only its facade and lower interior section remain after the 1936 collapse.