Palazzolo Acreide

A half-Baroque church

The church of the Annunziata is located on Via dell’Annunziata, not far from Via Roma.foto della chiesa dalla strada
It is one of the oldest churches in Palazzolo, probably built between the 12th and 14th centuries.
It was not spared by the tragic earthquake of 1693 and was partially destroyed.
The confraternity of the Annunziata wasted no time in overseeing the reconstruction. The Baroque façade was redesigned according to a design by Giuseppe Ferrara.
The entrance is preceded by a particular triangular-shaped parvis enclosed by a small wall and surmounted by small pillars. Unfortunately the façade remained unfinished. Only the main portal and the decorations around it were completed; four Solomonic columns ,two on each side, and the trabeation stand out.

zoom chiesa dell'Annunziata
chiesa dell'Annunziata

Le colonne tortili foto del portale
The richness and attention paid to the masterful decorations is striking. Quince, grapes, figs, pomegranates, cherub , faces, festoons, abstract elements and plant elements were all carved with extreme precision.

Zoom le decorazioni delle colonne
le decorazioni delle colonne

The church was redesigned with three naves with large arches to divide the main nave from the smaller one; the white walls were elevated with gilded stucco decoration; the white and dark grey floor, which reproduces an abstract design on the ground characterised by the strong contrast of the two stones, adds personality.

particolari delle Colonne tortili  particolari delle colonne tortili

interno dall’ingresso all’altare il pavimento bianco e grigio scuro Dettaglio pavimentazione

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

New roads for Catania

A symbol for the town

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A long reconstruction

A talking palace

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

A prominent church

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Some prestigious works

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Searching for colour

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

One city, three sites

An eagle-shaped city

A majestic and luminous church

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The internal colours

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A triumph of colour

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

A city in colour

A small room with a golden entrance

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The Staircase of Angels

A miniature city

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The Burgos crucifix

A half-Baroque church

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The Baroque town by the sea

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The chocolate of Modica

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A hall for the feasts

The interior and its masterpieces

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

Many owners, one palace

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Some masterpieces

A colourful floor

A square as the heart of the city

Two illustrious patron saints

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A new site for a new city

Discovering the mother church

Feast days

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Connections with other UNESCO sites

From International Gothic to present day

One city, two sites

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Norman apses

Between white and black

The city of museums

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The colours of the cathedral

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A museum to save a tradition

A new site for a new church

The Maiolica of the staircase

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Feasting in Palazzolo

A feast only for Scicli

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

Prominent façade

The church of Carmine

The two churches

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Wonderful quick decorations

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The wall comes to life

The theatre of taste

The disastrous earthquake

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

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation