Spanish singer Rosalía has been immortalized in a monumental mural in a neighborhood of Palermo, on the Italian island of Sicily (south), where her image blends with that of the city’s patron saint, Saint Rosalia, popularly known as “la Santuzza” (“the little saint” in the Sicilian dialect).
The work, titled “Estasi” (Ecstasy), is located in the Santa Rosalía neighborhood of Palermo and was created by Italian street artist Igor Scalisi Palminteri, who explained in a statement that the mural seeks to achieve a “syncretism” between the two figures.
“In his artistic career, I see a form of syncretism that I also find in the history of Palermo: a continuous fusion of different languages, cultures, and identities,” Scalisi explained.
According to the creator, the piece is inspired by the song “Focu ‘Ranni,” featured on the Catalan artist’s latest album, *Lux*, in which Rosalía sings part of the lyrics in the Sicilian dialect.
Rosalía is on tour in the U.S. with her “LUX” tour
Scalisi Palminteri highlighted in particular the line “mi jittaiu nta lu nenti pi nun pèrdiri a libbirta” (I threw myself into the void so as not to lose my freedom), in which he perceives “a tension that belongs both to Rosalía’s artistic exploration and to the figure of Saint Rosalía: the idea of a crossroads, of a transformation necessary to continue cultivating one’s own freedom.”
The mural depicts the singer against a golden background, with a halo and bleached hair that resembles a crown—a stylistic device she used during the promotion of her album.
This finish contrasts with geometric decorations inspired by the traditional “luminarie,” the festive street illuminations that adorn Palermo during the famous Festino, the massive popular celebration with which the city honors its patron saint each year, and which will be held on July 14 this year.
According to Catholic tradition, the saint saved Palermo from a devastating plague epidemic in 1624 after her remains were carried through the city’s streets—a historic miracle that gave rise to an unwavering popular and cultural devotion in southern Italy, according to Agencia EFE.