The fund is divided into three sections: “Churches and Altars” (1551-1997), “Other subjects” (1581-2004), “Personal data registry” (1552-2007)”.
The documentation was found by Reverend Don Stefano Neglia, who was at that time Pastor of the Parish of the Most Holy Assumption of Petralia Sottana. The documents were in the attics of the church, in a state of disrepair and damaged by moisture. The pastor made the documents to be transported to the second floor of the sacristy and placed in closets. In 2003 he gave Dr. Luciano Calogero Mascellino and Dr. Giuseppe Bongiorno (that are surgeons) the responsibility of reordering the documents, many of which had been stored in envelopes without any criteria. The reorganization was partially simplified thanks to many instruments produced by the previous archivists of the Mother Church, as the general index of the books called “Giuliana” compiled by ‘<< Abbot Nicolò Maria Polizzotti and by priest Lanza >> in 1832 and the labels placed on books or in document collections. The Giuliana contains the index of the lists or “Giuliane”, the description of the object of the list, the Church, Altar or other subjects to which it refers, customers list with their positions and titles and finally the date of compilation.
Subsequently, among the documents compiled by the priest Gangi Croce and by the archpriest Di Maria it is necessary to mention the list of the volumes of accounts and mandates, the list of records and other lists of documents regrouped in some collections (Legal Copies of contracts of different churches – the first six volumes). Finally, it was found the “Collection of the Books of these venerable Churches and Altars and Acts existing in the archive belonging to the books about public contracts, summarizing accounts and other information about these venerable Churches” (1807). In the bottom of Most Holy Assumption parish of Petralia Sottana there is documentation about various creators, which was extrapolated and described as independent funds.
The documentation is about the following creators: “the oratory of the Most Divine, the church of the Divine Mercy, the church of St. Julian, the church of St. Mary of the Fountain, the church of St. Mark and St. Biagio, the church of St. Sebastian, the church of the Most Holy Mary of Mount Carmel, the church of the Most Holy Saviour, the church of St. Peter the Apostle, the church of Bishop St. Nicholas, the church of Divine Providence, the church of St. Rocco and Altars, the church of St. Johan the Baptist, the altar of St. Calogero, the shrine of the Madonna dell’Alto, the Clergy, the chapel of the Pity under the title of the Whites, the Company and Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception, other brotherhoods and congregations, charitable, Opera brothers and sisters, the charity of the Most Holy Viaticum, the monastery of the Most Holy Trinity College of Mary “. Probably, all these documents came together at the parish after the suppression of the Orders and religious Corporations in 1866.
For further information:
Parish of the Most Holy Assumption
Tel e fax: 0921.640227
Mobile Phone: 380.4523925 – 328.9399996
