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

A city in colour

Between white and black

An eagle-shaped city

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

Feast days

A prominent church

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The colours of the cathedral

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The interior and its masterpieces

A colourful floor

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Norman apses

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Connections with other UNESCO sites

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The chocolate of Modica

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A triumph of colour

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A feast only for Scicli

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The disastrous earthquake

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A hall for the feasts

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

A small room with a golden entrance

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

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

A new site for a new city

Prominent façade

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Wonderful quick decorations

A square as the heart of the city

A majestic and luminous church

The theatre of taste

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

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

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

Some masterpieces

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

From International Gothic to present day

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Discovering the mother church

New roads for Catania

Two illustrious patron saints

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The two churches

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Many owners, one palace

The internal colours

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Some prestigious works

A new site for a new church

The Baroque town by the sea

One city, two sites

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The Staircase of Angels

A long reconstruction

A symbol for the town

A half-Baroque church

The church of Carmine

One city, three sites

A miniature city

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A talking palace

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Searching for colour

Feasting in Palazzolo

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

The Burgos crucifix

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A museum to save a tradition

The wall comes to life

The city of museums