Scicli

A triumph of colour

The entrance to San Giovanni Evangelista (St. John the Evangelist) is through a long, narrow and dark antechamber which gives onto a large, wide and bright oval hall. The colourful interior decorations embellish and characterise the room. Blue features prominently, like a ribbon tying the space together. The walls are embellished with golden stucco decorations that shine and sparkle whenever a ray of sunshine hits them.

ingresso verso altare dettaglio finestre, trabeazione, putti
The church is also made brighter by the large windows that open onto the vault, whose colourful glass filters yellow, green and blue light.

dettaglio finestre, trabeazione, putti dettaglio finestra

 A wonderful 19th-century fresco with the Glory of St. Benedict completes the vault, and a whirlwind of angels welcomes the saint among the blessed. Once in the final part of the church, the area of the apse is a triumph of gold; a brilliant decoration illuminates the space reserved for liturgical services. At the end, a beautiful aedicula , behind the altar guards the statue of Our Lady of Sorrows, which completes the decorative display.

Zoom zona dell’ abside
zona dell’ abside

La volta La statua della cappella

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The interior and its masterpieces

The Burgos crucifix

The wall comes to life

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The internal colours

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The disastrous earthquake

A square as the heart of the city

A talking palace

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

Two illustrious patron saints

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A prominent church

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

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

The Baroque town by the sea

A triumph of colour

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

A new site for a new church

The city of museums

Many owners, one palace

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

The two churches

Between white and black

Some masterpieces

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

A long reconstruction

The church of Carmine

The theatre of taste

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Prominent façade

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Feast days

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A city in colour

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A museum to save a tradition

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Discovering the mother church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

New roads for Catania

One city, two sites

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The Maiolica of the staircase

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

An eagle-shaped city

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A feast only for Scicli

From International Gothic to present day

A majestic and luminous church

A new site for a new city

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

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

One city, three sites

Some prestigious works

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A symbol for the town

A miniature city

The chocolate of Modica

Norman apses

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Wonderful quick decorations

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A hall for the feasts

Searching for colour

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A colourful floor

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

A small room with a golden entrance

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Feasting in Palazzolo

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The Staircase of Angels

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The colours of the cathedral

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

A half-Baroque church