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.

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Prominent façade

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A triumph of colour

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

One city, three sites

A symbol for the town

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A majestic and luminous church

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

The chocolate of Modica

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A new site for a new church

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

The interior and its masterpieces

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

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

Between white and black

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

The city of museums

Discovering the mother church

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Two illustrious patron saints

A new site for a new city

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Feasting in Palazzolo

The disastrous earthquake

A museum to save a tradition

A half-Baroque church

A small room with a golden entrance

The Maiolica of the staircase

Many owners, one palace

The internal colours

The wall comes to life

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The colours of the cathedral

The two churches

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

New roads for Catania

A colourful floor

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

One city, two sites

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A talking palace

A city in colour

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Searching for colour

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The Burgos crucifix

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The church of Carmine

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

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

From International Gothic to present day

Some prestigious works

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

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The Baroque town by the sea

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A square as the heart of the city

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The theatre of taste

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Wonderful quick decorations

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A hall for the feasts

A prominent church

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

An eagle-shaped city

Some masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A miniature city

Feast days

A long reconstruction

A feast only for Scicli

Norman apses