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 senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A triumph of colour

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Some prestigious works

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The Burgos crucifix

Discovering the mother church

The theatre of taste

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A small room with a golden entrance

Feasting in Palazzolo

A new site for a new city

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The interior and its masterpieces

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

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Searching for colour

A half-Baroque church

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A square as the heart of the city

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

Wonderful quick decorations

One city, three sites

The disastrous earthquake

A talking palace

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Prominent façade

The Staircase of Angels

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

An eagle-shaped city

A majestic and luminous church

The colours of the cathedral

A prominent church

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

New roads for Catania

Norman apses

Feast days

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

The two churches

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A colourful floor

A city in colour

A new site for a new church

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Between white and black

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A museum to save a tradition

Many owners, one palace

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The chocolate of Modica

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A miniature city

The Baroque town by the sea

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

A symbol for the town

A feast only for Scicli

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The Maiolica of the staircase

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The church of Carmine

The city of museums

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

One city, two sites

The internal colours

A long reconstruction

A hall for the feasts

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

From International Gothic to present day

The wall comes to life

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Some masterpieces

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca