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.

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The Staircase of Angels

Feasting in Palazzolo

A prominent church

The city of museums

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

The church of Carmine

A colourful floor

Discovering the mother church

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

A small room with a golden entrance

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

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

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Norman apses

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

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

The two churches

Wonderful quick decorations

The Baroque town by the sea

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A miniature city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The interior and its masterpieces

A city in colour

A square as the heart of the city

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Many owners, one palace

The internal colours

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

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

The wall comes to life

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

From International Gothic to present day

A museum to save a tradition

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A symbol for the town

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Prominent façade

The theatre of taste

A triumph of colour

Between white and black

New roads for Catania

One city, three sites

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Searching for colour

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

One city, two sites

Some prestigious works

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

Some masterpieces

The Burgos crucifix

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

A majestic and luminous church

Limestone, the colour of harmony

An eagle-shaped city

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

A talking palace

Feast days

The chocolate of Modica

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

Two illustrious patron saints

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A new site for a new city

A hall for the feasts

A new site for a new church

A feast only for Scicli

The disastrous earthquake

A long reconstruction

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The colours of the cathedral

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A half-Baroque church