Palazzolo Acreide

The two churches

The two main churches of Palazzolo Acreide, the Church of San Paolo (St. Paul) and the Church of San Sebastiano (St. Sebastian), are excellent examples of the particular late Baroque style.
  
They stand out from the other buildings in the town and hold particular significance.
Each with their own style, they form a theatrical setting that characterises the town space, so much so that their surrounding districts are named after them.
The great value of the two religious buildings is given by the interesting architectural features and the rich, elaborate decorations preserved inside. Both were rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake to demonstrate the wealth possessed by the local confraternities.
Religious feasts are very popular in Palazzolo Acreide! They take place from June to October and are dedicated to the town’s patron saints.
The feast of St. Paul the Apostle (29th June) ) has very ancient origins, is internationally celebrated and attracts thousands of worshippers and tourists every year. The same can be said of the feast in honour of St. Sebastian to whom almost the entire month of August is dedicated.

Feast days

The internal colours

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Between white and black

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

An eagle-shaped city

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The wall comes to life

A majestic and luminous church

The colours of the cathedral

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Some masterpieces

A talking palace

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

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

A city in colour

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

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Searching for colour

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Norman apses

A long reconstruction

The Maiolica of the staircase

The church of Carmine

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A square as the heart of the city

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The theatre of taste

A symbol for the town

Two illustrious patron saints

One city, three sites

One city, two sites

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

New roads for Catania

Discovering the mother church

Wonderful quick decorations

The interior and its masterpieces

The city of museums

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

From International Gothic to present day

Some prestigious works

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A new site for a new city

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The Baroque town by the sea

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

A new site for a new church

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A hall for the feasts

A miniature city

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A prominent church

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A half-Baroque church

The Burgos crucifix

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The two churches

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A small room with a golden entrance

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A museum to save a tradition

The Staircase of Angels

Prominent façade

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A colourful floor

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

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A triumph of colour

The disastrous earthquake

A feast only for Scicli

Many owners, one palace

The chocolate of Modica

Feasting in Palazzolo