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The Oratory of Santa Maria delle Grazie, known as the Sabato, is located near the Church of San Niccolò da Tolentino, where once stood the ancient Jewish quarters of Guzzetta and Meschita, in the heart of Palermo. Built in 1617, the Oratory was the seat of several religious congregations, from the Congregation of the Artisans to the Company of the Immaculate and of San Francesco Borgia, to the Congregation of the Cross and Martorio di Cristo known as the Sabbath, from which it takes its name. Although the exterior of the building is in good condition, the interior is unfortunately affected by the damage of time and neglect, the object of theft and numerous acts of vandalism. In 2017, more than 500 years after the decree expelling the Jews from Palermo, signed by the sovereigns Ferdinando and Isabella d'Aragona, the Archbishop of Palermo Corrado Lorefice granted the Oratory on loan for free use to the local Jewish community, as new place of study and worship.

For centuries the church has represented the religious centre of the city of Calatabiano, seat of a popular cult deeply rooted for San Filippo the Syrian, who would have lived and preached in Calatabiano towards the end of the first century. A.D. From a historical point of view, San Filippo is certainly of Middle Eastern origin, probably coming from Thrace and not from Syria.

The oratory / synagogue is a concrete and effective sign of the Jewish-Christian dialogue

Jewish culture, although a minority and for centuries persecuted in Sicily, has had a certain influence, especially on the architectural level, but it has not had much influence on popular religious feeling.

The story of the building can be used to suggest topics of medieval and modern history, or as a starting point for reflection on the themes of anti-Semitism