The church of San Sebastiano

The church of San Sebastiano is located in Chiusa Sclafani in the province of Palermo.

Strongly desired by the Colonna family, it was begun in 1623 and finished in 1627. The baroque style temple was then consecrated and opened to visitors the following year.

The years to come were a succession of works to continue to enrich the stuccos and frescoes inside the single nave. The interior thus contrasts with a really simple facade.

Among the canvases inside the church of San Sebastiano, we are talking about those near the two altars depicting the Apparition of the Virgin during the Battle of Lepanto and the Presentation of Jesus in the temple.

The main altar is obviously dedicated to San Sebastiano. In the center is the wooden statue of the Holy Martyr which is surrounded by four columns. On the sides there are also the statues of St. John the Baptist and the Prophet Elias.

At the top of the altar there is a niche inside which there is an eagle ridden by an angel playing the trumpet (“the triumph of faith”), all around with allegorical representations of the Old and New Testament.

The last two frescoes depict: the act of reproach by San Sebastiano to the Emperor Diocletian and the flagellation of the martyr. Yet there are still many frescoes and beauties to talk about, such as the Last Judgment by Vincenzo Messina and the La Valle organ from 1610, recently restored by Colletti.