The Sicilian Baroque style came to fruition during a major surge of rebuilding following a massive earthquake in 1693 . Previously , the Baroque style had been used on the island in a naïve and parochial manner , having evolved from hybrid native architecture rather than being derived from the great Baroque architects of Rome . After the earthquake , local architects , many of them trained in Rome , were given plentiful opportunities to recreate the more sophisticated Baroque architecture that had become popular in mainland Italy ; the work of these local architects — and the new genre of architectural engravings that they pioneered — inspired more local architects to follow their lead . Around 1730 , Sicilian architects had developed a confidence in their use of the Baroque style . Their particular interpretation led to further evolution to a personalised and highly localised art form on the island . From the 1780s onwards , the style was gradually replaced by the newly-fashionable neoclassicism
earthquake in 1693
1693 Sicily earthquake
Italian Baroque architecture