CHURCH Sant'Egidio Abate (Part 3 / 3)
The church in the shape of a Latin cross is very simple in its architectural structure, the facade has pillars with Ionic capitals on the first order, the second composite, which give a nice boost of sobriety and clarity.
La navata centrale con volta a botte è riccamente decorata con stucchi semplici, con archi ad ogiva, vele delle finestre a semicerchio e coppie di colonne con capitello dorico. La zona che meraviglia è la parte del transetto e del timpano. Nei recenti restauri, tutti noi abbiamo riscoperto una nuova chiesa di sant’Egidio. Il tetto del transetto fino a qualche tempo con volta a botte è stato completamente staccato per mettere in risalto il magnifico tetto a capriate lignee della chiesa precedente alla grande trasformazione subita nell’ottocento. Con i restauri però qualcosa di sorprendente è venuto fuori e ci ha meravigliati tutti, oltre 450 metri quadri di affreschi ornavano tutto il transetto. Era una sorpresa che ci si aspettava, for over sixty years was known of the existence of these frescoes, but unfortunately nothing had been done to bring them to light until 1998, when the wonder of many have appeared in their beauty.
The frescoes date back almost certainly at the end of the sixteenth century, as regards the right wall is known as "the Fathers of the Church," while the left wall of "The Passion of Jesus Christ" should not be more than half of the seventeenth century. But at the center of this wall was a wooden cross at the end of the sixteenth century, now in the church. It is hoped that the same returns in the place where it was collected. Apart from the stylistic reasons that can not be the frescoes of the periods given above for several reasons, say historical. At the end of the 500 Linguagrossa passed into the hands of Baron past few years which Bonanno from his oath to observe the local customs, their oath took place in the Church of St Giles February 14, 1606, begins with his "et worsening harassment ' to the people. Try to get even the pure and mixed empire , ie civil and criminal jurisdiction on the population and this led him to finally break the relationship, mai sano, tra lui e i linguaglossesi.
Il Bonanno però non poteva, per ragioni fiscali, perdere il suo potere sui suoi sudditi, e con una mossa astuta decide di costruire una grande chiesa, per ringraziarsi la benevolenza dei cittadini di Linguagrossa, nel 1613 inizia la costruzione dell’attuale chiesa Madre. Tutte le sue risorse economiche, soprattutto i proventi che vengono dalle tasse esorbitanti che riscuoteva, vengono impegnate nella costruzione della chiesa. La chiesa di sant’Egidio funge ancora come chiesa madre del paese, questo ancora for a few years until the inauguration of the Mother Church took place in 1636, from this year onwards for over 150 years the church did not suffer any improvements. Another reason why the frescoes not be dated later than 1640 and the disastrous economic situation that the country faces as a result of a reduction to the Royal Property in 1634. And yet the great famine of 1673 that decimated the country. But why are the frescoes Inalbi, perhaps because of some plague, it was believed that they were carriers of infection, or perhaps a change in architectural taste, most likely this is the reason.
In 1885 Bishop John Previtera, (1844-1904) Bishop of Patti, Archpriest of the country when he was made to move the statue from the altar of the holy right side altar and erected at his own expense a chapel rich marble inlays very beautiful.
Inside the church there are paintings of exquisite, all of the nineteenth century, "Saint Alphonsus Liguori" probably Pasquale Sciacca, San Vincenzo Ferrieri "and" Martyrdom of Saint Erasmus "in 1848, both of Emanuele Grasso, the "Lady wasteland between San Pedro and San Pasquale" and the "Martyrdom of Saint Apollonia" perhaps Provenzani Domenico, and yet the "Souls of Purgatory" in 1878 by Giuseppe Minutoli, le statue della "Madonna di Lourdes" e di "San Giuseppe".
Nella chiesa si conserva anche il Fercolo su cui viene posto il santo quando viene portato in processione. Opera di Antonino Puglisi da Linguaglossa, tra l’altro autore del fercolo del Cristo Morto conservato nella Chiesa del Calvario. È un fine lavoro di intaglio tutto rivestito in oro del 1864. “La squisitezza decorativa è diffusa in ogni particolare con tutta l’oculatezza dell’orafo: ad esempio, le eleganti colonne rudentate, decorate alle basi di un fine rilievo e sormontate da capitelli, accentuate nell’aggetto; i fregi della base e della trabeazione, cui danno una vivace nota i dentelli e le mensolette; i quattro angoli, il reliquiario and the interior panels carved in red background with gold. "
The fercolo the saint in 1923, thanks to the donation of the devotee of Ferrara Egidio Mariano, was placed on a cart to be able to bring in a procession with more comfort.
The saint as in most of the performances and as an abbot with machine guns and bacolo, unlike the saint Nordic representations have next to where the doe nurse. The statue is very simple but evokes the viewer great pathos. The miter bacolo and silver, the bacolo miraculous eruption of 1923, were given away by the family of Regan after the eruption of 1865. bacolo More silver was given later by Philip Regan the eruption of 1809. Great devotees Regan, after the miracle of 1923, Rosario Regan had to redo the entire floor of the church of the saint, as a vote except for having its own district in Caristi hazel, in Cerro, the floor has been removed in recent renovations.