Palazzolo Acreide

The smallest Greek theatre in the world

Located at the entrance to the archaeological site, beyond a small gateway is the Greek Theatre of Akrai. It is small and can accommodate around 600 spectators.

It is not carved into the rock, but lies on the natural slope that was previously prepared with dry stone. Its càvea is composed of 9 voussoirs and 12 steps, which, according to the rules of classic antiquity, are facing north. The space where the choir moved during theatrical performances, called the orchestra, is semi-circular in shape.
It is a unique element because other Greek theatres have a circular orchestra.
It was modified in the Roman-Imperial age. A new and wider raised scene was built, reducing the space of the orchestra, which is still intact today.
Like other structures of this type, it has excellent natural acoustics and is still used today for classical performances in the summer months.
One of the main activities organised by the Istituto Nazionale del Dramma Antico (National Institute of Ancient Drama) is an international initiative where young people become the festival’s true protagonists by staging works by ancient tragedians and playwrights.

Foto fil di ferro i cunei
I cunei
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The new roads of the city

The Badia di Sant’Agata (St. Agatha’s Abbey)

The Duomo di San Giorgio (Cathedral of St. George)

The senses tell the Church of San Michele

Piazza Duomo, the elephant fountain, the heart of the city

The city within the city

Geometry and wonder in civic architecture in the Baroque of the Val di Noto

A compromise between Neoclassicism and Baroque

Reconstruction after the earthquake

A unifying project for the city of Catania

The Monte delle Prestanze in the new city layout

Luminous sacred spaces

Unusual iconographies: the Burgos crucifix

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Trigona

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The illusion of light and the decorative splendour

Baroque creativity: recurring themes

Palazzo Zacco, a balance between sobriety and decoration

The Staircase of Angels

Art in the cathedral

The palace, the town, the church

Madonna of the Militia: a singular warrior virgin

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San Domenico and Gagliardi’s work

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The Church of St. Paul

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell about Palazzo Zacco

Scenography, lights and colours of the cathedral

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St. Agatha and the candelore

Akrai and Syracuse: an unbreakable bond

The church and the college

Views denied, views conquered: the power of the devout Benedictines

Barresi-Branciforte: the lords of the fiefdom and the modernisation of the town

The interior and works of art

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The Infiorata of Noto, a modern tradition

The beginning of an authentic Baroque conception

A casket of precious works

The Benedictines’ library

The Church of Madonna della Stella

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City and nature

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Palazzo della Cancelleria: from former stable to the Nicastro family

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Altars, saints and sculptural works

A stone garden

Palazzo Trigona di Canicarao

The Palazzo dei due mori

The senses tell about Palazzo Ducezio

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Baroque and the loss of balance in the 16th century

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The articulated interior spaces

Expanded spaces, stucco and colourful lights

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The Franciscan convent

The expansion of space and changing reality

The dynamics of the Church of San Michele

The church of San Nicolò l’Arena: the majesty of an unfinished beauty

The Church of St. Francis

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Church of St. Julian on Via dei Crociferi

Religious architecture

The freedom of worship and the Catholic Church’s role in the diffusion of Baroque

The senses tell of Palazzo della Cancelleria

The senses tell the Cathedral of San Giorgio

Virtuosity, decorations and altars

Rebirth and urban planning of the city of Noto

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The casket of austerity under the great dome

The Church of St. Benedict

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The senses tell the story of the Church of San Paolo

The art of maiolica

The smallest Greek theatre in the world

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Carlo and the former Jesuit college

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

The two churches

The Madonna dei Conadomini and the art of devotion

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The neo-Gothic seminary chapel: symbols, light and space

The eagle-shaped city

A story of rebirth

The interior of the church: space and colour

The triumph of Baroque: expansion of spaces

The Church of St. Mary of the Mountain

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The Antonino Uccello Birthplace Museum

Majestic exteriors, grandiose interiors

Expansion, spatiality and light in the church of San Domenico