Santa Maria del Rosario ("Our Lady of the Rosary", also called ''San Domenico'') is a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

church in

Alcamo Alcamo (; scn, Àrcamu, italic=no) is the fourth-largest town and communes of Italy, commune of the Province of Trapani, Sicily, with a population of 44.925 inhabitants. It is on the borderline with the Metropolitan City of Palermo at a distan ...

, in the

province of Trapani Trapani ( it, Provincia di Trapani, scn, Pruvincia di Tràpani; officially ''Libero consorzio comunale di Trapani'') is a province in the autonomous island region of Sicily, southern Italy. Following the suppression of the Sicilian provinces, it ...

History

It was founded in 1660 with the adjoining friary (used for public offices and houses after 1866) by the Dominican Fathers.Carlo Cataldo, Guida storico-artistica dei beni culturali di Alcamo-Calatafimi-Castellammare del Golfo p. 76-78-79, Alcamo, Sarograf, 1982. Until that year they had resided in another friary next to

Santa Maria della Stella Santa Maria della Stella is a church located on Via Stella 25 in the quartiere of its name in Naples, Italy. History The church was built in 1571, to host an icon of the Virgin, previously held in an aedicule near Porta San Gennaro. The Minims r ...

, where in 1587 there were eight friars and needed an urgent restoration work. They moved to the town area where today there is the Church of the Rosary, and carried the fresco with the Madonna which is still kept in this Church. In 1761 the church was rebuilt and enlarged a lot, and finally in 1947 became a

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...

dedicated to

Our Lady of the Rosary Our Lady of the Rosary, also known as Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, is a Marian title. The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, formerly known as Feast of Our Lady of Victory and Feast of the Holy Rosary is celebrated on 7 October in the General Rom ...

Works

The interior with a rectangular

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

and nine chapels, keeps the following works which are of good artistic value: * A

Cross A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a sa ...

, painted in the 15th century and placed on the ceiling * an old painting of Saint Dominic, on the left side after the main entrance *

Saint Peter ) (Simeon, Simon) , birth_date = , birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire , death_date = Between AD 64–68 , death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire , parents = John (or Jonah; Jona) , occupat ...

, martyr, a painting of the 17th century, below it there is a wooden statue of Madonna del Ponte made by Giuseppe Ospedale; in the first left chapel *

Saint Vincent Ferrer Vincent Ferrer, OP ( ca-valencia, Sant Vicent Ferrer , es, San Vicente Ferrer, it, San Vincenzo Ferreri, german: Sankt Vinzenz Ferrer, nl, Sint-Vincent Ferrer, french: Saint Vincent Ferrier; 23 January 1350 – 5 April 1419) was a Valencian ...

wooden Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin tha ...

statue probably made in the 18th century; second left chapel *

(Madonna del Rosario) with the Mysteries, a painting realized by Vito Carrera in 1603; on the secondary door *

Saint Anthony of Padua Anthony of Padua ( it, Antonio di Padova) or Anthony of Lisbon ( pt, António/Antônio de Lisboa; born Fernando Martins de Bulhões; 15 August 1195 – 13 June 1231) was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order. He was bo ...

a painting by Mario Giambona (1713), coming from the ex church of Itria; third left chapel *

Our Lady of Sorrows Our Lady of Sorrows ( la, Beata Maria Virgo Perdolens), Our Lady of Dolours, the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows ( la, Mater Dolorosa, link=no), and Our Lady of Piety, Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours are names ...

, on the wall there is a marble

Bas-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

by the school of

Gagini The Gagini or Gaggini were a family of architects and sculptors, originally from Bissone on Lake Lugano. This family founded Sicily's Gagini school, which flourished until the mid-1600s. Notable members One of the most notable members include ...

, representing

Dormitio Virginis The Dormition of the Mother of God is a Great Feast of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches (except the East Syriac churches). It celebrates the "falling asleep" (death) of Mary the '' Theotokos'' ("Mother o ...

; fourth left chapel In the

apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. ...

: a beautiful altar with

and three wooden statues of Our Lady with the Child, Saint Dominic and

saint Rosa Saint Rosa is a city in Stearns County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 58 at the 2020 census. It is part of the St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a to ...

* An old painting of saint Catherine: on the right side, past the main entrance * A Dominican saint kneeling before Our Lady with the Child, made by Bernardo Rizzuti Pauletti from Corleone (1718) in the second room * Saint Dominic, an old painting probably made in the 18th century; below it there is a wooden statue of

saint Expeditus Expeditus (died 303) also known as Expedite, was said to have been a Roman centurion in Armenia who was martyred around April 303 in what is now Turkey, for converting to Christianity. Considered the patron saint of urgent causes, he is also kn ...

by Domenico Messina; first right chapel *

( 1464), a fresco coming from the homonymous church and assigned to Tommaso De Vigilia; even if damaged and faded because of the passing of time, it still has the original expressive force. In the second right chapel * The Holy Heart of Jesus, a wooden statue; third right chapel * Elegant altar with a painting of saint Dominic by an unknown author, on the pillars there are 15 oval paintings representing the 15 mysteries of the Rosary realized by Carlo Brunetti in 1759 on behalf of the Company of the Rosary; fourth right chapel.Carlo Cataldo, La conchiglia di S.Giacomo p.107, Alcamo, Campo, 2001. Madonna del Rosario con Bambino. San Domenico e Santa Rosa.jpg, Our Lady of the Rosary with Saint Dominic and

Saint Rosa Saint Rosa is a city in Stearns County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 58 at the 2020 census. It is part of the St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a to ...

Madonna del Rosario con i Misteri.jpg, Our Lady of the Rosary with the ''Mysteries'' San Domenico, tela del Settecento.jpg, Saint Dominic Santa Maria della Stella.jpg, ''Our Lady of the Star'' Madonna della Provvidenza.jpg, Our Lady of Providence Pulpito ligneo.jpg, The wooden pulpit Inside the sacristy there was an

alabaster Alabaster is a mineral or rock that is soft, often used for carving, and is processed for plaster powder. Archaeologists and the stone processing industry use the word differently from geologists. The former use it in a wider sense that include ...

statue of the Virgin and Child, called Madonna della Provvidenza, dating back to the 15th century and assigned to Pietro de Bonitate (today kept in the

Sacred Art Museum Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

in the

Mother Church Mother church or matrice is a term depicting the Christian Church as a mother in her functions of nourishing and protecting the believer. It may also refer to the primary church of a Christian denomination or diocese, i.e. a cathedral or a metropo ...

), a painting representing the miracle of saint Vincenzo Ferreri made by Giuseppe Renda in 1793, and another representing saint Angela Merici, made in 1905 by Francesco Alesi.

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * {{Cite book, last1=Cataldo, first1=Carlo, title=La conchiglia di S.Giacom p.107, publisher=Campo, location=Alcamo, publication-date=2001 Roman Catholic churches in Alcamo

History

Works

See also

References

Bibliography