The 16th-century 'Oratory of the Whites' obtained its nickname from the white ceremonial gowns worn by its religious guild, whose members comforted prisoners in the three days prior to their execution. Today, it houses a 10th-century wooden gate from the Arab citadel that stood here, the very gate through which the Normans invaded and conquered Palermo. It also houses several beautiful stuccoes by master rococo sculptor Giacomo Serpotta.
Among them is the monumental Eterno Padre (Eternal Father) from the Chiesa delle Stimmate di San Francesco, demolished in 1875 to make way for the city's Teatro Massimo.
