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.

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Two illustrious patron saints

A miniature city

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

A symbol for the town

Prominent façade

A majestic and luminous church

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A city in colour

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Feasting in Palazzolo

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Between white and black

A feast only for Scicli

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

An eagle-shaped city

The church of Carmine

A prominent church

A hall for the feasts

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

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

The internal colours

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

New roads for Catania

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

A new site for a new church

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A new site for a new city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A half-Baroque church

A square as the heart of the city

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The colours of the cathedral

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Norman apses

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

One city, two sites

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A triumph of colour

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The interior and its masterpieces

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

The disastrous earthquake

Some masterpieces

A long reconstruction

Searching for colour

The wall comes to life

Connections with other UNESCO sites

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

The chocolate of Modica

The Staircase of Angels

A talking palace

The Baroque town by the sea

Discovering the mother church

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The theatre of taste

The Burgos crucifix

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Wonderful quick decorations

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The two churches

The city of museums

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The Maiolica of the staircase

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

Many owners, one palace

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

A museum to save a tradition

From International Gothic to present day

A small room with a golden entrance

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A colourful floor

Some prestigious works

One city, three sites

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Feast days