Vizzini

At Vizzini, now in the province of Catania but until the beginning of the nineteenth century in the diocese of Syracuse, conflict was very intense, even before the earthquake, between devotees of Saint Gregory (photo 1, church of Saint Gregory), patron of the city and those of the popular classes, of Saint John (photo 2, statue of Saint John).

 

 

After the earthquake, the quarter of the Mother Church took on an increasingly marginal role, while a new centre developed in the city which considered that the church of San Vito, which depended on the Mother Church, the new church of the “nobles” and where the “popular” confraternity of the Holy Spirit, opposed to that of Saint John, the “popular” confraternity which financially contributed to the reconstruction of the church which became the biggest and majestic church of Vizzini. Processions and rites were thus the source of violent and at times bloody clashes. (The feast of Saint Gregory is celebrated on 3 September, that of Saint John on 28-29 August).

 

 

 

<<<—previous page   next page—>>>