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Small and simple but with a long history

Church of San Sebastiano

Of the little church dedicated to San Sebastiano, something certain was already known since 1574 in the "Liber Visitationes", written after the pastoral visit in Bronte of Monsignor Ludovico Torres, bishop of Monreale.

It is placed in the via Matrice, in front of the side nave of the Church Of The SS. Trinità. Once the burial of the "civili" (the well to do people) was performed here.
In 1622 was seat of the Mercy Confraternity, from the beginnings of 1900 it became the oratory of the Confraternity of the SS. Sacrament.

The prospect

The scheme of the little church, unitary and simple, is a rectangular room with entry from the short side. The prospect is a set of superimposed architectural and decorative elements of several epochs.

A flight of steps in stone, perpendicular to the façade, leads to the portal in lava stone of late Renaissance style, work of the skilful school of local stone cutters. Stair and portal occupy all the median part of the façade which, on the crowning, with a jutting tympanum strengthens the image of a prospect divided into vertical sections, as though the building had three naves.

In the lower section four columns with Corinthian capitals support a high pediment. The everything is represented with the technique of graffiti and tempera.

The inside

The inside has one only nave of unusual proportions with covering of feigned vault; the side walls are pronounced by outlined pilasters and arches, without depth, surmounted by a frame twisting round the set of the vault. The San Sebastiano statue is exposed in the niche of the back wall.

In the centre, in the niche of the back wall, the statue of San Sebastiano, from the second half of the 17th century, is displayed. Also preserved in the church are a lovely painted wooden bench with a three-seater backrest and a small papier-mâché crucifix approximately 1 meter high (both from the second half of the 19th century).

In ancient times the Crucifix opened the procession of the Archconfraternity of Mercy on the most solemn occasions.

We know that, as there was no municipal house in ancient times, popular meetings, meetings of the jurors and their election were held in this church.

From documents in the Nelson Archive we certainly know that from the 15th to the 17th century, every year, "in the venerable church of St. Sebastian, on one of the three Easter holidays of Pentecost (at the end of the seventh week after Easter) or on 29 June on the feast day of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, a public council was held there, in the presence of the archpriest and parish priest, to choose 18 people from the Land of Bronti to be presented to the Rectors of the Ospedale Grande e Nuovo of Palermo for the appointment of the administrators local (three Jurors, the civil and criminal Judge and the Captain of Justice).

The candidates were voted by putting broad beans (Yes) and lupins (No) into the ballot box.

Today the small church of S. Sebastiano, deconsecrated, is in complete decay; the external façade damaged in several parts is in ruins; the interior, almost bare of everything, is used as the headquarters and warehouse of the ancient Confraternity of the SS. Sacramento (built in 1600).

Translated by Sam Di Bella

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