Catania

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

sight
Brightness and light

Colour, light and more colour!
The vault is a riot of colour, capable of making the figures and shapes stand out, and leaving visitors gazing upwards.
As for the altar, it attracts attention thanks to the brilliance and shine of gold, silver and the precious sparkling stones used to decorate it.
The church is a treasure trove of precious jewels.

hearing
A sound to accompany prayer

It’s 1790 and you’re inside the church of St. Benedict, attending one of the services… You can hear something… what is it?
The organ!
With a sound alternating between gentle and low, it accompanies prayer as impressed worshippers celebrate Holy Mass.
Then the bells announce the end of the service.
Their chimes vibrate in the atmosphere and resonate along Via dei Crociferi.

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Connections with other UNESCO sites

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

The chocolate of Modica

A square as the heart of the city

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

An eagle-shaped city

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Feasting in Palazzolo

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Maiolica of the staircase

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Between white and black

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A museum to save a tradition

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

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

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

Some prestigious works

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A prominent church

A small room with a golden entrance

New roads for Catania

One city, two sites

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Norman apses

The two churches

A long reconstruction

Two illustrious patron saints

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A new site for a new city

A symbol for the town

Prominent façade

One city, three sites

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The city of museums

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The disastrous earthquake

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

A miniature city

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The Burgos crucifix

A city in colour

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The wall comes to life

Wonderful quick decorations

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A majestic and luminous church

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

A colourful floor

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

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

The theatre of taste

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

A feast only for Scicli

The interior and its masterpieces

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A talking palace

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A hall for the feasts

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

The colours of the cathedral

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A new site for a new church

From International Gothic to present day

The internal colours

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A half-Baroque church

Discovering the mother church

The church of Carmine

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Searching for colour

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The Baroque town by the sea

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

Feast days

Many owners, one palace

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Some masterpieces

A triumph of colour

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe