Catania

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Giuliano ai Crociferi

sight
A hypnotic floor

With a splendid geometric design of curved and broken lines pointing towards the centre, the floor of the church of San Giuliano (St. Julian) mesmerises all who look upon it.
The effect is amplified by the contrast between the colours of the floor.
The red stone alternating with white marble with light grey veins is enough to make your head spin.

hearing
The singing of the Benedictines

On the Feast of St. Agatha, the saint’s statue is carried around the city streets in procession.
The long route takes us in front of the church of San Giuliano (St. Julian), where the devout Benedictine nuns, hidden behind the grilles, hear prayers, honour the Saint and take part in one of the most important celebrations.

A miniature city

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The senses tell the Benedictine Monastery and San NicoIò l’Arena

The two churches

Two illustrious patron saints

The theatre of taste

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A colourful floor

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The disastrous earthquake

A symbol for the town

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The interior and its masterpieces

Between white and black

A small room with a golden entrance

One city, three sites

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell the story of the staircase of Santa Maria del Monte

Feast days

A museum to save a tradition

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The colours of the cathedral

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A city in colour

Church of San Giuliano (St. Julian) on Via dei Crociferi: reconstruction

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

An eagle-shaped city

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Wonderful quick decorations

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A triumph of colour

Prominent façade

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A new site for a new church

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A prominent church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Giovanni Evangelista

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The role of the religious orders in rebuilding the Val di Noto

Discovering the mother church

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

From the contrast of the exterior to the internal jubilation of colours

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The senses tell the Mother Church of San Nicolò and of the Santissimo Salvatore

The wall comes to life

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

From International Gothic to present day

The Staircase of Angels

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The senses tell the story of the church of Santa Maria del Carmelo

A half-Baroque church

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

New roads for Catania

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Giuliano ai Crociferi

Norman apses

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A feast only for Scicli

A talking palace

Many owners, one palace

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A square as the heart of the city

Some prestigious works

The Baroque town by the sea

Searching for colour

The Burgos crucifix

The internal colours

Some masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

One city, two sites

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The city of museums

A long reconstruction

The senses tell the story of the Badia di Sant’Agata

The chocolate of Modica

The Maiolica of the staircase

The church of Carmine

A hall for the feasts

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giovanni Battista

Feasting in Palazzolo

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Freedom of worship and the role of the Catholic Church in the diffusion of Baroque

A majestic and luminous church

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A new site for a new city