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.

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A symbol for the town

The interior and its masterpieces

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

Many owners, one palace

A prominent church

Discovering the mother church

Some masterpieces

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

Feasting in Palazzolo

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A museum to save a tradition

A triumph of colour

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

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

New roads for Catania

The Baroque town by the sea

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The city of museums

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A talking palace

The disastrous earthquake

A majestic and luminous church

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A square as the heart of the city

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A feast only for Scicli

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The Staircase of Angels

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A hall for the feasts

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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

One city, two sites

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Between white and black

The wall comes to life

The internal colours

A long reconstruction

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Prominent façade

Some prestigious works

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The colours of the cathedral

Two illustrious patron saints

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

From International Gothic to present day

The Burgos crucifix

The church of Carmine

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

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

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

Norman apses

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The Maiolica of the staircase

One city, three sites

The theatre of taste

An eagle-shaped city

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A new site for a new church

A new site for a new city

Searching for colour

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A small room with a golden entrance

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A half-Baroque church

A city in colour

The two churches

A miniature city

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

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Wonderful quick decorations

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The chocolate of Modica

A colourful floor

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Feast days