Catania

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The Giardino dei Novizi (Garden of Novices) is one of the most fascinating places in the monastery.
Over the centuries it has suffered a great deal of damage and experienced various transformations. In 1977 work began to restore the monastery, supervised by architect Giancarlo De Carlo .
The Garden of Novices, as the name suggests, was reserved for those beginning their spiritual journey to become part of the religious order, where they would observe and learn the Benedictine way of life.
The garden was built atop the accumulation of lava after the 1669 eruption; in the 20th century, it was destroyed to make room for a gymnasium that did not last long. The architect  De Carlo recovered the old garden, restored the area, added a spiral staircase and fountain and turned it into a green space open to all.
foto giardino novizi foto dettagli piante giardino

Discovering the mother church

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The Maiolica of the staircase

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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

Some prestigious works

The Baroque town by the sea

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

Norman apses

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A new site for a new church

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The Staircase of Angels

Some masterpieces

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The internal colours

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

One city, two sites

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

One city, three sites

A new site for a new city

From International Gothic to present day

New roads for Catania

The Burgos crucifix

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A miniature city

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A half-Baroque church

The wall comes to life

A symbol for the town

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Feast days

A triumph of colour

Two illustrious patron saints

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A Nobel Prize in Modica

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Between white and black

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A square as the heart of the city

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The two churches

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

A majestic and luminous church

Wonderful quick decorations

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Prominent façade

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

The colours of the cathedral

The disastrous earthquake

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A prominent church

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A small room with a golden entrance

A long reconstruction

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A city in colour

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The city of museums

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

The theatre of taste

The chocolate of Modica

Feasting in Palazzolo

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The church of Carmine

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

A hall for the feasts

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

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

Searching for colour

A colourful floor

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The interior and its masterpieces

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

A feast only for Scicli

A talking palace

A museum to save a tradition

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Many owners, one palace

An eagle-shaped city