Sacra Famiglia, Alcamo

Sacra Famiglia Holy Family
Chiesa della Sacra Famiglia ( Catholic
Province	province of Trapani
Region	Sicily
Patron	dedicated to the Holy Family
Location
Location	Alcamo, province of Trapani, Italy
State	Italy
Territory	Alcamo
Geographic coordinates	37°58′48″N 12°57′54″E / 37.97997°N 12.96505°E / 37.97997; 12.96505
Architecture
Founder	Father Vincenzo Abbati
Groundbreaking	17th century

Sacra Famiglia ("Holy Family", called also chiesa di San Giuseppe or Mezzana or Culliggeddu because of its small dimensions) is a religious building in Alcamo, Sicily, southern Italy; it is located on the ground floor of the Ex Jesuits' College.^[1]

History

The church was built thanks to Father Vincenzo Abbati, who died in 1654. After his death, his body was first buried in the church of Stellario and later was moved inside the church of Jesus, after its completion.

In this church, on 25 April 1745, the male Congregation of Madonna del Lume (named after middle-class people, that is "little land owners"), was formed. According to the chronicles of the time, the members met every Sunday evening, and the congregation was abolished on 28 July 1770 by a royal decree.

The church was run by the

on 15 November 1824 by Father Domenico Maria Lo Jacono, who was its director and catechist. Probably, after the Jesuits' expulsion, the congregation of Madonna del Lume moved into the church of Santa Maria del Soccorso.

In 1901 they founded the female congregation of Madonna del Lume (Madonna of Light), that moved into a chapel inside the

chiesa madre

in 1942. On the altar there is a painting dedicated to Madonna del Lume painted by Giuseppe Renda. In Alcamo the feast of Madonna del Lume was celebrated on the fifth Sunday after each Easter; two weeks after the festivity of Patrocinio.

In 1947 monsignor Giuseppe Barone was appointed as its Rector and under his leadership the church was modernized.

The Church was closed in 1968, owing to the damages suffered during 1968 Belice earthquake; it was later restored and cleaned, thanks to the financing by Nicolò Cassarà, before being fully reopened.

Description and works

The church has a single navy with three altars: the high altar (in white marble and adorned by red stucco columns) and two side altars, in

marble, realized and inaugurated in 1937.

• Until 1952 on the high
  relics of Saint Benedict the Moor, Saint Paulinus of Nola, and Saint Casimir
  .
• On the left altar there is a Holy Crucifix (which was kept in the attic of the Ex Jesuits' College according to tradition), made by an unknown author and restored in 1901.
• On the right altar you can see the painting of Madonna del Lume, by an unknown author and placed on the altar in 1740, that they restored in 1901 too. In a picture dated 1969 we can notice Our Lady and her Infant Child's silver crowns attached to the painting and other silver ornaments: two ear-rings, a small necklace and a pin.

On the right side of the high altar there is the "

, who Father Pugliese lighted candles to, in order to keep the rain away during the feast of Patrocinio, taking place on the third Sunday after Easter, when they offered lunch to poor families in piazza Ciullo.

On the side walls there are four oval paintings made by Gioacchino Speciale (1923–2004), from Partinico, realized in 1955 in substitution of the others which were in a bad state:

• The
  Presentation of Jesus at the Temple
• The Annunciation
• The Virgin's wedding
• The escape to Egypt.

On the ceiling there is the

of Mary and of his son Jesus (by an unknown author). In 1926 they made the wooden which matches the style.

In the same year this pulpit won a prize in an exhibition at Montecatini Terme. You could enter it through an external wooden small staircase, that was substituted with a more comfortable one, made in masonry, set into the wall and hidden by a small door. At the corners of the pulpit there are two little columns adorned with Corinthian capitals which surmount two angels’ heads; behind them, on the wall, there is, as a decorative motif, a great stucco in the shape of a snail.

The

. In 1954 under the choir, in order to increase the Church's luminosity, they placed a new wooden inner door with large glasses in four parts, that is formed by two sides small doors and two central ones, with the sign of a cross in the middle (inscribed in the middle of a circle) and made by Vito Fulco. On this occasion they also restored the choir, letting it lean on cement columns with a marble base. During these works they have also changed the first electric installation (dating back to 1912) and placed two small

holy water stoups

, made in red marble. Outside one of the two windows of the choir there are two bells.

The church Confessional has got two kneeling-stools and is placed in a niche set into a side wall of the Church. The

, altar cloths and sacred furnishings, realized thanks to the charity of Francesco Guarrasi Anna are:

• The white, red and violet altar hangings worked with gold;
• The large armchair of golden stucco and red velvet, with four stools and a platform;
• The silver altar cards with the Church official badge for the high altar;
• a thurible;
• a silver incense-boat;
• a
  Gothic style ciborium
  ;
• a triangular processional standard made in velvet with a gold fringe;
• a silver tray;
• a
  holy water stoup with an aspergillum
  .

Besides, the external door in

Gothic style

and the steps, made by the master builder Geraci, were realized thanks to the benefactor Guarrasi Anna.

The feast of Patrocinio

Every year the congregation of the Holy Family organizes the feast of Patrocinio, which takes place in piazza Ciullo. During the feast they place a stage in front of the Church of Jesus (

chiesa del Gesù

) where some poor people representing the Holy Family sit for the lunch offered and served by the members of this congregation.

See also

• Catholic Church in Italy
• Ex Jesuits' College
• List of Jesuit sites
• Piazza Ciullo

References

Sources

• Cataldo, Carlo (2001). La conchiglia di S. Giacomo. Alcamo: Edizioni Campo.
• Barone, Giuseppe (1969). La Congregazione di Gesù Maria e Giuseppe nella chiesa della Sacra Famiglia di Alcamo. Alcamo: Accademia di studi Cielo d'Alcamo.

External links

• Orari Orari S.Messe – Diocesi di Trapani di apertura al pubblico per le Sante Messe
• http://www.turismo.trapani.it/it/1172/chiesa-san-francesco-di-paola-o-badia-nuova.html Page at Trapani tourist website