Scicli

A feast only for Scicli

Madonna a Cavallo, Chiesa MadreOn the last Saturday of May the Madonna a Cavallo (Madonna on Horseback) is celebrated in Scicli. This very important feast celebrates the liberation of Christians from Arab rule.
In 1091 Roger I of Sicily and his army freed Scicli from the Saracens, but they didn’t do it all by themselves… The Madonna on horseback came to their aid. Also known as the Madonna delle Milizie (Madonna of the Militia), she miraculously appeared and took part in the final battle. This incredible event could not be forgotten, so it is still celebrated every year.
In her honour, the town is decorated with lights and all the citizens participate in long processions; it is the only feast in the world where a warrior virgin is celebrated.
A play is also put on that tells the story of the battle and the miraculous appearance. To mark this day for remembering the Virgin’s miraculous intervention, typical desserts are prepared called Teste di Turco (“Testi Turcu” in dialect), meaning Turkish Heads. These desserts are an ideological trophy. In fact, their shape is reminiscent of the turbans that covered the heads of the defeated invaders. Despite their inspiration, they are delicious pastry puffs filled with ricotta cheese or custard.

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A miniature city

The two churches

The wall comes to life

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A hall for the feasts

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

A new site for a new city

A prominent church

Connections with other UNESCO sites

From International Gothic to present day

A museum to save a tradition

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

One city, two sites

A feast only for Scicli

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A triumph of colour

One city, three sites

The Maiolica of the staircase

The city of museums

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The disastrous earthquake

A small room with a golden entrance

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

A long reconstruction

Discovering the mother church

Two illustrious patron saints

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Prominent façade

A majestic and luminous church

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A talking palace

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Between white and black

A symbol for the town

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

New roads for Catania

Some masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The colours of the cathedral

The church of Carmine

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Feast days

A square as the heart of the city

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Searching for colour

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Norman apses

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Some prestigious works

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

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Baroque town by the sea

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

A colourful floor

A city in colour

The theatre of taste

A new site for a new church

A half-Baroque church

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Feasting in Palazzolo

Wonderful quick decorations

The Burgos crucifix

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The chocolate of Modica

Many owners, one palace

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

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

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The interior and its masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The internal colours