Colonna Immacolata (Column of the Immaculate Conception), Palermo

The Column of the Immaculate Conception (Colonna dell'Immacolata Concezione) in Palermo is a significant cultural and religious monument in the historic Saint Dominic Square (Piazza San Domenico). This monumental sculpture features a bronze statue of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception positioned atop a column, installed in 1631 but redesigned and completed in its current form between 1724 and 1726. The column, crafted from gray Billiemi marble and set on a plinth of white Carrara marble, was strategically shortened so that the statue of the Madonna could be seen from the main altar of the San Domenico Church through the large window of its main facade.

The centerpiece statue, sculpted by Giovan Battista Ragusa, depicts the Virgin Mary. Surrounding the base of the column are bronze statues of four archangels: Gabriel, Michael, Rafael, and Uriele, adding to the monument's grandeur and spiritual significance. The original plinth decorations featured bronze statues of Charles VI of Naples and his wife but were replaced in 1750 with statues of Charles V of Naples and Maria Amalia Walburga. In a post-World War II modification led by Cardinal Ernesto Ruffini, these were replaced with statues of Pius IX and Pius XII, popes associated with the promulgation of the dogmas of the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption of Mary respectively.

The monument is deeply rooted in the Marian veneration traditions of Southern Italy. In 1624, the Senate of Palermo declared its readiness to defend the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, emphasizing the region's deep connection to this belief. In 1954, a tradition was initiated by Cardinal Ruffino where a fireman places a wreath at the Madonna's feet using a fire-truck ladder, mirroring a similar ceremony in Rome. This annual event highlights the enduring spiritual and community significance of the Column of the Immaculate Conception in Palermo.