Catania

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The work of the Benedictines not only followed religious and charitable commitments, but scientific undertakings, too. The monastery’s first collection of books was probably created at its foundation and used exclusively by the monks. The monks also followed strict Benedictine rule through the study of literature and science.
They established relations with the city’s cultural institutions and acquired important collections over the centuries.
There were around 24,000 volumes of rare, ancient and modern manuscripts and parchments; the monks were great connoisseurs and disseminators of ancient knowledge. After the eruption of 1669 and the earthquake of 1693 the monastery suffered great losses but the monks managed to save part of the collection, which they kept until the library was rebuilt.
The construction of the library’s new main hall was entrusted to Vaccarini, who designed it with typical elements from late Baroque art.
In fact, the giant central plan hall, the “Sala Vaccarini” (Vaccarini Hall), is an important room covered almost completely by wooden bookshelves in order that nearly reach the decorated vault, placed between the round windows that illuminate the room.
In addition to the hall there were five other sumptuous rooms used for the Benedictine Museum and designed to closely match the library. Today the former museum rooms are home to the library’s reference and reading rooms.

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A miniature city

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A small room with a golden entrance

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A long reconstruction

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A feast only for Scicli

Between white and black

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Baroque town by the sea

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A hall for the feasts

The wall comes to life

A new site for a new church

A prominent church

A new site for a new city

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

The interior and its masterpieces

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A city in colour

The Burgos crucifix

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

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The Staircase of Angels

Some masterpieces

Wonderful quick decorations

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

A majestic and luminous church

The colours of the cathedral

Feasting in Palazzolo

One city, three sites

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

A colourful floor

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

The disastrous earthquake

The chocolate of Modica

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The theatre of taste

Searching for colour

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Discovering the mother church

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

One city, two sites

The city of museums

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Many owners, one palace

A talking palace

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

A square as the heart of the city

A triumph of colour

Prominent façade

A half-Baroque church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

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

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Some prestigious works

An eagle-shaped city

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

From International Gothic to present day

Feast days

The church of Carmine

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

New roads for Catania

The two churches

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A museum to save a tradition

A symbol for the town

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Two illustrious patron saints

The Maiolica of the staircase

The internal colours

Norman apses