Catania

Norman apses

foto delle absidi dall'esternoIn the late 11th century, during the time of Roger II, the cathedral of Sant'Agata (St. Agatha) was built where the Roman baths were located (which are now accessible and can be visited).
When the Normans conquered Sicily and drove out the Arabs, they decided to build a large, important church in the heart of the ancient city of Catania.
Though the cathedral has undergone many transformations over the centuries, the ancient structures of the apses from the Norman period are still preserved today.
To build the new church, Roger II chose a site close to the sea and had an “Ecclesia munita” built, i.e. a fortified church. His decision was not accidental. This way, the city was defended against foreign attacks and the religious power of the Bishop of Catania was demonstrated.
For this reason, thick walls, Embrasures , corridors for Patrols and Merlons were built. They are still visible today in the external parts of the Transept and the Apses .
The Norman structures are easily recognisable because unlike the rest of the building, they are made entirely of lava stone bricks.
Inside, on the other hand, the ancient Norman structure can only be seen in the left apse.
Zoom su feriotie e merli 
The other two (the main apse and the chapel of St. Agatha) are widely decorated and colourful, and both have lost the rigour and austerity of the ancient structure. The left apse still features the old square stone with no decoration.
foto retablo

Many owners, one palace

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A long reconstruction

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A feast only for Scicli

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

A square as the heart of the city

The colours of the cathedral

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

The two churches

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A museum to save a tradition

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

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Two illustrious patron saints

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A triumph of colour

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Wonderful quick decorations

Some prestigious works

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The Burgos crucifix

An eagle-shaped city

The wall comes to life

A half-Baroque church

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The Staircase of Angels

Norman apses

A symbol for the town

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A prominent church

A small room with a golden entrance

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The Maiolica of the staircase

A miniature city

A hall for the feasts

Feast days

From International Gothic to present day

The interior and its masterpieces

A colourful floor

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

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

One city, three sites

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

One city, two sites

Between white and black

The theatre of taste

Some masterpieces

The church of Carmine

The chocolate of Modica

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Prominent façade

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

Discovering the mother church

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Searching for colour

A talking palace

The internal colours

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A city in colour

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A majestic and luminous church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The Baroque town by the sea

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

New roads for Catania

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The disastrous earthquake

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

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Feasting in Palazzolo

A new site for a new city

The city of museums

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A new site for a new church

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