Bronte's City/Monuments - The Matrice (inside)

Church of the Ss. Trinità	Let's visit, together, the churches of Bronte

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OUTSIDE THE CHURCH | THE CRUCIFIX AND PURGATORY ALTARS

The church's inside

The inside of the Church Of The SS. Trinità, to three naves, reflects the scheme preferred at the time.

The transect is contained in the short sides by two chapels with wonderful baroque altars: the altar of the Crucifix [2] and that of the Purgatory [1].

The two valuable works were built in 1655 ("altar hoc an. 1655 erectum"), the date is affixed in the right part of the arc of the chapel of the crucifix) and restored in 1892.

The Crucifix Altar

The baroque altar of the Crucifix (1655) frames a big fresco with the Addolorata (Grieved) Virgin and San Giovanni on which leans a haunting wooden crucifix of the XV century ("Fattu in 1505", is written below the Cross).

Of baroque style it is of agonizing realism: has four very rich corkscrew columns and twined screws of gilded ornaments.

Four tortile columns, to which are spirally attached gilded vine shoots with foliage and fruits, support the animated and geometrical pediment under which two angels show Christ's face impressed on the Veronica veil.

Between a column and the other, within frames of gilded plasters, the four evangelists' images are frescoed.

Further down two statue: to the right Santa Agnese (Holy Agnes) and, to the left, Santa Caterina della Ruota (Holy Caterina Of The Wheel).

The altar contains a big wooden cross with a very beautiful Christ whom, according to tradition, was saved in 1651 from the lava of Etna buried the Brignolo district.
To the feet of the Crucifix are the frescoed figures of the Virgin and San Giovanni.

Altar of The Purgatory

Also the chapel of the transept with the Altar Of The Purgatory, placed in front of the other chapel with the altar of the Crucifix, is of baroque style, but it is much richer than decorations.

Also here four tortile columns adorned of gilt floral elements support a high frame with cyma of thick foliage.

Among the columns, in suitable niches, are positioned human skeletons of remarkable plastic effect and of great suggestion.

The Purgatory altar, in particular, is a technique masterpiece of communication.
Brings back with clear messages the vanity of all things, remembered to the cultured through Horace's verses, engraved in the shield and supported by two little angels (decidunt turres feriuntque summos fulminates montes) and another shield further down, kept by the angels, which shows the versicle "Viator in arena et stigmate consilium capit".

To communicate the message to the illiterate brontesi of the XVII century, the author invents a really spectacular and terrifying scene.
Transports the earthly life into the afterlife (the purgatory) where skeletons, engraved in natural size between the four columns, represent all the ecclesiastical and political hierarchy, from the Pope (with triregno at the top and mantle) to the king, the emperor, the cardinal and the bishop.

All that to remind the men of a truth always current and always forgotten: the fugacity of life and the vanity of earthly things.

Mausoleums Inside the church, arranged in the side aisles and in the chapels there are several richly built mausoleums and marble plaques dedicated to illustrious brontesi (mostly priests). Stand out the one of Mons, Giuseppe Saitta (erected in ‘800, placed in the left aisle near the secondary entry to the church), that of the noble Nicola Spedalieri (born in 1741 and deceased in 1831), great beneficiary Of the Mother Church, third cousin to the homonym philosopher Nicola Spedalieri, of Vincenzo Pace, (placed on the right side aisle), of the archpriest Placido Dinaro (erected in a chapel of the left side aisle), and of Vincenzo Uccellatore (also archpriest, built in a chapel of the left aisle).

	The monument, placed on the wall of the church’s left aisle
by his wife and children, in memory of Vincenzo Pace, "laboriosissimo viro patri sponsoque diligentissimo", and deceased in 1849.

The mausoleum erected in memory of Don Vincentius Uccellatore (archpriest and “parrochus oppidi Placae Bajanae” deceased in 1805 at the age of 74 years), The plaque starts with “Hic jacet qui retribuit bona pro malis".
Father Gesualdo De Luca in its “History of Bronte” remembers him “for the greatness and generosity of his heart, for his extraordinary plans for the beloved country”.
Placido Dinaro, deceased at the age of 91 years, the 26th of August 1795. About him father Gesualdo De Luca writes that he was
“a most virtuous and attentive archpriest, an erudite and holy man. The venerable Capizzi defined him a hidden saint. His way of speaking as a sacred orator was effective and extremely gentle”. Agostino Attinà depicted him amongst the Bronte’s illustrious men (n. 7).

Translated by Sam Di Bella


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