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.

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The interior and its masterpieces

The wall comes to life

One city, three sites

The Baroque town by the sea

A new site for a new city

From International Gothic to present day

The Staircase of Angels

Searching for colour

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Wonderful quick decorations

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Norman apses

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A new site for a new church

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

A square as the heart of the city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A talking palace

The colours of the cathedral

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A long reconstruction

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Many owners, one palace

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

A city in colour

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A majestic and luminous church

A colourful floor

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A hall for the feasts

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

New roads for Catania

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Some masterpieces

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

One city, two sites

The church of Carmine

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A symbol for the town

The theatre of taste

A museum to save a tradition

A feast only for Scicli

A miniature city

A half-Baroque church

Some prestigious works

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

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Discovering the mother church

The disastrous earthquake

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The chocolate of Modica

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

An eagle-shaped city

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Feast days

Feasting in Palazzolo

The city of museums

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The Burgos crucifix

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Prominent façade

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A small room with a golden entrance

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

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The Maiolica of the staircase

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

A triumph of colour

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Two illustrious patron saints

The internal colours

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A prominent church

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Between white and black

The two churches

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours