Born in Trapani, Ferrigno moved with his family to Palermo where taken ecclesiastical studies. In 1715 he was appointed “proingegnerio without salary” in aid of the Palm, then architect of the Senate of Palermo. For the next 15 years, he would work in Palermo and the surrounding cities to enhance various sacred buildings including the church of San Domenico (altar in silver), the Church of S. Michele Arcangelo de Indulcis (floor), the Cathedral of Caltanissetta (vault and walls), S. Crocifisso in Montemaggiore Belsito (Palermo) (decorative frescoes on the vault).
The great dome of St. Ignatius (1732), almost totally destroyed by bombing in 1943, was one of his most important achievements. In 1736 Ferrigno led the reconstruction of the mother church of Tusa (Messina), destroyed by an earthquake. Returned to Palermo, he designed the the silver altar frontal for the Church of Ss. Cosmas and Damian, the new chapel in the center of Palazzo Adriano (1740), the bell tower of Saint Matthew and the new dome of St. John the Evangelist church. He also directed the reconstruction works of Palazzo Alliata (1751 and 1758), and designed the architectural renovation of the church of Three Kings and the dome of the church of the monastery of St. Catherine.
Read More:
1. Treccani, http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/francesco-ferrigno_(Dizionario_Biografico)/
2. Convento San Domenico, http://www.domenicani-palermo.it/news-2015-2.html
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