Catania

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

The church of San Giuliano (St. Julian) has a majestic white marble façade protected by a tall wrought iron gate.
foto con i tre portali
One of the structure’s most characteristic elements is undoubtedly the belly of the central section. The façade is also divided into two levels: the first contains the portals, but only the middle one grants access to the church; the second features seven louvre , windows, with the largest in the centre. The marble façade contrasts with the large octagon of the dark grey lava stone dome. A white stone loggia was built on it, which allowed the nuns to admire the city, and above all to watch the procession of St. Agatha passing along Via dei Crociferi.
foto particolare timpano su facciata  foto della parte alta tamburo ottagonale
The interior was enchanting! Plays of light and colour create an incredible atmosphere in the church.
Small and cosy thanks to the Greek cross central plan , the church floor immediately catches the eye, with white and red geometric designs. The white walls are illuminated by gold which outlines the edges and the most important elements. The church was also enriched by four chapels whose artwork broke up the white of the walls.

A museum to save a tradition

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

New roads for Catania

The internal colours

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The chocolate of Modica

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Wonderful quick decorations

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Some masterpieces

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

The disastrous earthquake

The church of Carmine

One city, two sites

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A miniature city

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Feast days

A symbol for the town

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A half-Baroque church

A colourful floor

One city, three sites

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

The wall comes to life

A hall for the feasts

A small room with a golden entrance

The theatre of taste

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A majestic and luminous church

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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

Discovering the mother church

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The interior and its masterpieces

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Two illustrious patron saints

A prominent church

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

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

From International Gothic to present day

A new site for a new city

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The two churches

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Some prestigious works

A new site for a new church

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

Many owners, one palace

The Baroque town by the sea

A triumph of colour

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Burgos crucifix

A long reconstruction

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The Staircase of Angels

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Norman apses

Feasting in Palazzolo

A talking palace

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The city of museums

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Searching for colour

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

Between white and black

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

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

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A square as the heart of the city

An eagle-shaped city

Prominent façade

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

A city in colour

The colours of the cathedral

A feast only for Scicli

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The Maiolica of the staircase