Rite Catholic Territory Alcamo Region Sicily Province Province of Trapani | Municipality Alcamo State Italy Patron Catherine of Alexandria | |
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Location Alcamo, province of Trapani, Italy | ||
Santa Caterina del Monte di Pietà ("Saint Catherine of the Mount of Piety") was a Catholic church in Alcamo, in the province of Trapani.
Contents
History
In 1518 the church was initially built next to the Mother Church, on the western side, at the expense of the Confraternity of Santo Monte di Pietà; as its rectors wanted to better it, they decided to construct another one in the main street (Corso 6 Aprile) opposite the present Church of the saint Guardian Angel(or the Sheltered Women), where it is today.
As the first church was abandoned, in 1619 it was aggregated to the parish of the Holy Trinity by the bishop of Mazara del Vallo, finally in 1634 it was given to the Mother Church in order to use it as a courtyard for the sacristy.
Closed to service for several decades, and then desecrated, it was important as the Oratory of the Company of Santo Monte di Pietà, which helped and assisted poor and sick people.
Description and works
Inside the church, with one nave, there were some paintings, one of them representing Saint Catherine of Alexandria, later moved to the Sacred Art Museum in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption; the work, dating back to 1621, is assigned to Giuseppe Carrera or to Giacomo Lo Verde.
The façade, with a simple portal, dated 1608, is quite appraisable.
The Confraterny of Santa Caterina
Already existing in 1430 with its premises in the mother church, in 1518 it was called Confraternity of Santo Monte di Pietà and, since 1635, it has probably become the Company of Santo Monte di Pietà.
Its members were "gentlemen and civilians", wore as a dress "sackcloths, cloth mantles and dark grey felt hats, with the emblem of Jesus in the sepulchre", later, since 1635, a sackcloth with white visors and the emblem of Our Lord of Piety on their shoulders.
These were their duties:
In 1581 this cemetery was given to this Confraternity in order to build a church consecrated to God, the Virgin Mary, Saint Rocco and Saint Sebastian who were the protectors from plague.
The Company, probably active in 1924, does not exist any longer.