touch

Lava and marble

One of the most characteristic elements of the Benedictine monastery is, without a doubt, the strong two-tone colour of the main materials used to build it. Try to touch a marble column on the staircase then one of the lava stone steps leading to the library, and you'll immediately notice how diff...
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smell

Odours and aromas from the kitchens

Try to imagine the smells coming from the basement kitchens that rose to the upper floors and the spaces connected to the two refectories. One of these spaces used to prepare rich dishes is home to the prodigious 18th-century fireplace hood named "il fornetto" (the little oven), built atop the anc...
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hearing

The singing of the Benedictines

On the Feast of St. Agatha, the saint's statue is carried around the city streets in procession. The long route takes us in front of the church of San Giuliano (St. Julian), where the devout Benedictine nuns, hidden behind the grilles, hear prayers, honour the Saint and take part in one of the most...
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sight

A hypnotic floor

With a splendid geometric design of curved and broken lines pointing towards the centre, the floor of the church of San Giuliano (St. Julian) mesmerises all who look upon it. The effect is amplified by the contrast between the colours of the floor. The red stone alternating with white marble with ...
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smell

The scent of church candles

The smell of wax is one of the most characteristic scents inside a church and in the streets of Catania during the patron saint's celebrations. Votive candles are still produced today in Catania's artisanal workshops using techniques and raw materials steeped in ancient knowledge. There were ori...
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sight

What a view!

If we climbed the steps leading to the terrace above the abbey of St. Agatha, perhaps we would be a little tired or out of breath, but there would be a splendid landscape before us. The entire city can be seen from here: the Bellini Theatre, the Cathedral, the Ursino Castle, the churches on Via Cr...
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taste

A dessert for a saint

During the feast dedicated to St. Agatha, the "Minne di Sant'Agata", a dessert made in her honour, are another must. The shape is unambiguously reminiscent of a woman's breast, in memory of the terrible martyrdom suffered by the saint. The dessert consists of a shortcrust pastry shell covered with...
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hearing

Music in the Cathedral

The church has an unbreakable bond with music. The cathedral of St. Agatha is not only home to a magnificent organ, now located above the entrance, but the tomb of the musician Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835). Though he died very young, he was recognised as one of the greatest composers of his time. ...
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touch

Coarse to smooth, hot to cold

Look but don't touch! How many times have you heard this said in museums or churches? But if you could touch each material that made up the church you would notice how different they are; starting with the pillars that separate the central nave from the lateral naves, the former in lava stone and ...
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sight

The façade with a play on colour

Of all the wonders of Piazza Duomo, the cathedral certainly does not go unnoticed. Thanks to a play on colour between the white limestone and grey lava stone, the façade figures prominently in the square. The two colours alternate with one another to create a perfect harmony that adds liveliness ...
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