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.

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The chocolate of Modica

Searching for colour

The theatre of taste

A half-Baroque church

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The colours of the cathedral

The Baroque town by the sea

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Discovering the mother church

The disastrous earthquake

An eagle-shaped city

A museum to save a tradition

A hall for the feasts

A new site for a new city

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

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

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A square as the heart of the city

A small room with a golden entrance

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The interior and its masterpieces

Feast days

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The two churches

Norman apses

One city, three sites

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Many owners, one palace

A majestic and luminous church

New roads for Catania

The Burgos crucifix

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A prominent church

Feasting in Palazzolo

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A symbol for the town

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Some prestigious works

The city of museums

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

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

The internal colours

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A long reconstruction

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

The Staircase of Angels

A city in colour

A new site for a new church

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Prominent façade

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

Wonderful quick decorations

The church of Carmine

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 church of San Giuseppe

One city, two sites

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A talking palace

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

A miniature city

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The wall comes to life

A triumph of colour

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

From International Gothic to present day

A feast only for Scicli

Between white and black

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

Some masterpieces

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A colourful floor

The Maiolica of the staircase

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Two illustrious patron saints