Church of San Domenico | Cammarata | Sicily
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Cammarata -San Giovanni Gemini

Your next destination in Sicily in the Sicani mountains

A mountain of excellence

Open to the public, it is located in Piazza Francesco Crispi in Cammarata

How it looks

In the current church of San Domenico we find the painting of the Madonna di Monserrato signed by Carlo Lo Presti. In fact, in front of the same chapel there was the burial of the whole Lo Presti family. Then we have the statue of San Michele in gilded wood and the painting of San Domenico by Vincenzo Lo Presti. The Madonna del Rosario donated by Francesco Lo Bue in 1726, statue sculpted in Naples in 1624. We also have the statue of Our Lady of Sorrows about 1.80 meters high and bears the emblem of the Traina family on the pedestal: according to a tradition preserved in the family, a their ancestor who was returning from the countryside one evening, was stopped by a woman dressed in mourning who suggested that he change direction because his enemies had ambushed him. Signor Traina, devoted to the Addolorata, attributed that miraculous intervention to her and had this statue sculpted for the church of San Domenico. There are the crucifix of Sant'Antonio, a very beautiful and precious wooden sculpture, the statue of San Vincenzo Ferreri by Antonio La Bella and the statue of the Madonna del Carmine, bought at the beginning of the century. The church was run for several years by Mons. De Gregorio who enriched it with various canvases and restored the old works and finally built an organ with 540 pipes. 

San Domenico church

Church of San Domenico 

Cammarata

Church of San Sebastiano

History

Until the end of the nineteenth century, there were several religious orders that had their headquarters in their own convents, including the Dominicans. The building, now used as a scientific high school, with an adjoining church dating back to 1509, stands where the ancient church and hospital of Sant'Antonio Abate was once located. The church, popularly known as San Domenico, was destroyed in 1913 by a fire but was rebuilt around the years 1931-1934. On the pediment of its portal we read: “Templum Deo Divo Antonio dicatum a predicatoribus colitur” which means “The church dedicated to God and Saint Anthony is cared for by the preachers”.

The index of the commercial importance of Cammarata, which due to the strong increase had assumed the appearance of a country, was the establishment of a hospital  (The hospital, near the church of S. Antonio (today S. Domenico), had existed since the 14th century. "Since the building had collapsed," the hospital was refounded by the priests of Cammarata on 6 January 1493 ". In 1937 , following the testamentary bequests of the brothers Luigi and Salvatore Longo, the hospital was moved to the premises of via L. Longo and in 1984, for hygienic-sanitary reasons, to a new building in the district of S. Lucia.

What is celebrated:

From time immemorial in the church of S. Antonio (commonly known as S. Domenico), January 17th has been celebrated by the homonymous Confraternity. The party is preceded by an octave in which, every evening, the brothers with some drums, go around the village playing the traditional rhythms. The devotees, from time to time, relieve the fatigue of the drummers by offering "fried guasteddi" and wine.

drummers every evening, after playing a gig in the square opposite, they leave the church and return at the end of the tour. On the day of the feast, the salt that the animals eat is blessed and even men "feel" it. In ancient times, in addition to animals, also broad beans, fru were blessed. ment, bread that they were given to eat to make them partakers of the feast and the blessing of the Saint.

On the feast day, many people attend the sacred functions in the church and make the "trip" to the saint, kissing the beautiful sixteenth-century wooden statue and offering candles or money. The sufferers of "St. Anthony's fire" are particularly recommended to him.

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