2° the Saint Patron of Piazza Armerina Enna, Sant'Andrea Avellino

2° THE SAINT PATRON OF PIAZZA ARMERINA ENNA, SANT'ANDREA AVELLINO

2° Holy Patron, Saint Andrew Avellino in Piazza Armerina Enna Sicilia

In 1610 from Naples in our city, two fathers Ta with a relic of father Andrea Avellino (1521-1608, christened Lancelot, has operated in the House teatina of St. Paul greater than Naples).
The relic is a tuft of beard that give the priest panicker Andrea of the barons of s. Tandon upper cone. This relic became means of prodigious healings and the following year in Platia, you register the continuous arrival of confreres Theatines Neapolitans, all disciples of father Andrea in Naples.
These priests reformed, once they arrive in our city, founded the Congregation of the Ministrali (artisans) "and, immediately thereafter, the" Congregazione dei Nobili "and" Secret Congregation of nobles and priests.
" A good example that give fathers Theatines convinces many young people of ancient and noble families piazzesi to receive their religious habit at the Casa Teatina dedicated to Saint Joseph in Palermo (the ai Quattro Canti).

In 1619 two fathers Theatines milanesi, Gonfalonieri and cross, founded the Congregation of merchants "that unites priests, doctors, prosecutors, notaries, lawyers and doctors. A few years later, in 1624, Father Teatino Giacomo Di Stefano, in the province of Foggia and disciple of blessed Andrew, who in addition to being a tireless preacher, Counsellor, moderator and peacemaker, a work many miracles through the intercession of his Maestro, including to preserve part of the city from the plague that is doing massacres in the island. While still counting the dead of plague, had especially in 1626 Channels the Senate district Citizen along with the City Council of Eighty, clergy, magistrates and all the people, proclaiming the blessed father Teatino Andrea Avellino second patron the city after the Patron Saint Mary of victories and the first patron St. Vincent Ferrer. For the occasion the painter Antonino Cinniardi begins to paint the picture that we see today at the municipal art gallery.

The painting, of which a particular monster in the photo above, restored in 2008, depicts St. Andrew Avellino (beatified in 1624 and Holy in 1712) along with Mary of victories with right down the second view of the city from the former borgo Casalotto.

In 1642, following the emergence of more miracles of another Father Teatino, St. cajetan of Thiene, are carved two statues in limestone of the place representing the two Blessed and then placed on the sides of the door of St. John the Baptist. This placement in this door of cities, has two reasons.
The first is that the port is just a few steps from the House Floor in 1609 founded in Drayton, second is Patrisanto that this door is the first and most convenient encountered by foreigners who want to enter the city, so the two statues of the Saints to protect her from any epidemics brought from outside.

In 1731 the Senate makes Citizen sculpt a Memorial (pictured below), recovered and now walled up on the porch of the Jesuit College houses the municipal library, where you forget the reverence towards the 2° patron, declared protector of the Kingdom of the two Sicilies and invoked against sudden death (epilepsy).

In 1848 is shot down the door of St. John the Baptist for the widening of Prince Street (now via Garibaldi), the two statues on either side have moved first at the commandery, close by, then between 1961 and 1965 at the sides of the door of the Church of San Lorenzo or de the theatines, where to this day.

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¹ one of seven doors to me identified.
Photo: detail of the painting of Saint Andrea Avellino, Pinacoteca Comunale