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.

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The two churches

Prominent façade

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Feasting in Palazzolo

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

The interior and its masterpieces

The internal colours

From International Gothic to present day

A city in colour

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The disastrous earthquake

A triumph of colour

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

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

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Norman apses

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

The colours of the cathedral

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A talking palace

Some prestigious works

The Maiolica of the staircase

The chocolate of Modica

A colourful floor

The Staircase of Angels

A hall for the feasts

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Two illustrious patron saints

A half-Baroque church

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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

A symbol for the town

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A small room with a golden entrance

Limestone, the colour of harmony

New roads for Catania

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

One city, two sites

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Searching for colour

The city of museums

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

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

The church of Carmine

The Baroque town by the sea

An eagle-shaped city

Feast days

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Wonderful quick decorations

Some masterpieces

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

A majestic and luminous church

Many owners, one palace

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A long reconstruction

A new site for a new church

Discovering the mother church

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A feast only for Scicli

A prominent church

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

A square as the heart of the city

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Between white and black

The Burgos crucifix

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A miniature city

The wall comes to life

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

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

One city, three sites

The theatre of taste

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A museum to save a tradition

A new site for a new city