Catania

A square as the heart of the city

The project for the new roads of Catania was designed by the master engineer Giuseppe Vespa, likely under the supervision of the famous engineer Carlos de Grunenbergh and, in collaboration with the Duke of Camastra , the decision was made to reorganise the city and adopt Piazza Duomo as the focal point.
Piazza inquadrando l'elefante punto centraleIt was then that Catania was reborn. The new square was larger and wider than the former Platea Magna .
Both religious and secular powers were represented in this building; the cathedral was rebuilt on the site of the old church, whose apses had remained standing. The Archbishop’s Palace, the Seminary Palace of the Clerics and the Senatorial Palace were then built.
In the centre is the Fontana dell'Elefante (Fountain of the Elephant), now a symbol of the city, which was designed by architect Giovanni Battista Vaccarini and unveiled in 1737. The obelisk, brought from Egypt and placed on top of the elephant, is 3.61 metres tall.
On the top was placed a globe featuring a cross and the initials of St. Agatha, the city’s patron saint .
Palazzo Senatorio Fontana dell'Elefante Obelisco
Beneath the elephant, finally, is a pedestal with statues of the two rivers of Catania, the Amenano and the Simeto.
dettaglio fiume Amenano elefante obelisco fiume Simeto elefante obelisco
The end result is a breathtaking square.
The alternating use of dark grey lava stone with white limestone creates surprising contrast. A perfect example of this can be found in the cathedral or senatorial palace.
Effects of light and shadow complete and accentuate the contrasts of the square, reminiscent of a theatre stage.

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

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

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A square as the heart of the city

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The Baroque town by the sea

The colours of the cathedral

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Feast days

Between white and black

Some prestigious works

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The two churches

One city, three sites

Norman apses

An eagle-shaped city

New roads for Catania

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The disastrous earthquake

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

The city of museums

The Burgos crucifix

A miniature city

Prominent façade

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A triumph of colour

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

A new site for a new church

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

A majestic and luminous church

A hall for the feasts

A colourful floor

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The Maiolica of the staircase

One city, two sites

Discovering the mother church

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The wall comes to life

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Staircase of Angels

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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

The internal colours

A long reconstruction

The theatre of taste

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Many owners, one palace

A talking palace

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A museum to save a tradition

A half-Baroque church

A new site for a new city

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A small room with a golden entrance

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A city in colour

Searching for colour

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

From International Gothic to present day

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A feast only for Scicli

A symbol for the town

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

A prominent church

The church of Carmine

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Wonderful quick decorations

Feasting in Palazzolo

Some masterpieces

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The chocolate of Modica

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The interior and its masterpieces