Inside of the church
there isn't a precise architectural style and is extremely simple but
also interesting enough.
Has a longitudinal shape to Latin
cross, with two lateral naves and one central, four
side chapels and two at the end, an apse chorus, a wooden chorus,
with inlayed wooden benches.
The central nave is
supported by twelve columns made of sandstone with capitals,
subsequently increased with consolidation masonry (two of them
collapsed in the earthquake of 1818).
The arcades of the ancient twelve columns are round arched.
Entering the church from the major door it is possible to see how
originally the columns had been.
Here were brought to light a few
columns, the floor and other architectural elements in limestone of
the original building.
The three naves belonged to the ancient church of Santa Maria, the transept,
the major chapel and the two sides, to the old church of the SS. Trinità.
The transept is contained in the short
sides by two wonderful baroque altars of the Crucifix (2) and the
Purgatory (1)(restored in 1892).
The vaults replace the original wooden trusses. The first chapel, to the right coming in (8) is dedicated to San
Biagio (patron saint of Bronte), the second (6) to the Addolorata
with the statues of the Madonna (every Venerdì Santo
- holy Friday - is taken in procession after the statues of
Christ to the Column, the crucifix and Christ dead).
The first left chapel is dedicated to Jesus' Heart
(7), with a small mausoleum in
marble of the dean Vincenzo Uccellatore and (to the right) the picture of
the Buon Pastore (Good Shepherd), work of the brontese Agostino Attinà (1880).
Comes then the chapel of the apostles Pietro and Paolo (5).
To the right of the chorus that of S. Maria of the Candelora or the
Purification (4), first half of the XVII century.
To the left, the chapel of the SS. Sacrament (3), already in
existence since 1574, taken with two frescos by the brontese Nunziato Petralia (1895) which
represents a fasting mule that refuses to eat its fodder for three days
and stands in adoration in front of the sacrament from S. Antonino and the count
Rodolfo degli Asburgo who gives his own horse to a priest that
is taking the Last Sacraments to a very ill person.
In the apse is noticed the wall wooden
structure of the chorus with the benches
worked to inlays and the equipment of the mechanical organ.
On the walls of the side naves lay some mausoleums of illustrious brontesi,
among which stand out, in the left nave, the ones of the bishop Monsignor Giuseppe Saitta
and of the don Nicola Spedalieri (1741 -1831).
|