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 senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

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

Discovering the mother church

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The wall comes to life

The Maiolica of the staircase

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Some prestigious works

New roads for Catania

The colours of the cathedral

The chocolate of Modica

A small room with a golden entrance

Prominent façade

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A square as the heart of the city

A prominent church

A symbol for the town

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The Baroque town by the sea

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

One city, two sites

A talking palace

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Between white and black

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

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A majestic and luminous church

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

A feast only for Scicli

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The internal colours

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

An eagle-shaped city

A new site for a new city

The interior and its masterpieces

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A new site for a new church

A long reconstruction

From International Gothic to present day

Two illustrious patron saints

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The Burgos crucifix

A half-Baroque church

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Searching for colour

A hall for the feasts

Some masterpieces

A triumph of colour

A museum to save a tradition

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The city of museums

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Norman apses

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The disastrous earthquake

Feast days

The theatre of taste

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Feasting in Palazzolo

A miniature city

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

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Wonderful quick decorations

A colourful floor

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Staircase of Angels

The two churches

One city, three sites

Many owners, one palace

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The church of Carmine

A city in colour

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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