Palazzolo Acreide

Some masterpieces

The church houses splendid works that complete and decorate the interior.
The altar area definitely attracts attention. Composed of a series of wonderful elements, the structure behind the altar is a carving masterpiece.
La struttura dietro l’altare La struttura dietro l’altare
It is richly elaborate and a dozen columns surmounted by putto heads complete the composition. The same attention to detail can be found in the use of colour on the lower part of the structure, completely in marble; the artist chose and combined fragments of blue, red, yellow and white marble.

A little above the altar is the painting by Paolo Tanasi completed in 1827.
The work depicts the Annunciation , one of the most important moments in Christian history when the angel announced to the Virgin Mary that she would give birth to the Messiah. Tanasi chose well-defined colours such as yellow, which highlights the shape of the angel, and blue, which emphasises the corporeality of the Virgin Mary.
In the transept you can see the Madonna del Carmelo (Our Lady of Mount Carmel) completely covered in gold. She shines from afar and demands attention. The right nave houses the statue of Santa Teresa (St. Theresa) and as usual, above one of the altars is the depiction of the Holy Family, the Virgin Mary, the Child and John the Baptist.
Un dipinto, dietro l’altare raffigura l’Annunciazione la statua di Santa Teresa Madonna del Carmelo, nel transetto

The colours of the cathedral

A museum to save a tradition

One city, two sites

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The two churches

A long reconstruction

A prominent church

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A majestic and luminous church

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

A talking palace

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

The wall comes to life

The city of museums

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

The Baroque town by the sea

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The Staircase of Angels

A small room with a golden entrance

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Discovering the mother church

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

A half-Baroque church

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A symbol for the town

Feasting in Palazzolo

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A hall for the feasts

The theatre of taste

One city, three sites

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The disastrous earthquake

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The internal colours

Some masterpieces

The Maiolica of the staircase

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The church of Carmine

The chocolate of Modica

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A city in colour

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

A miniature city

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Wonderful quick decorations

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

An eagle-shaped city

Norman apses

Some prestigious works

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Prominent façade

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A feast only for Scicli

New roads for Catania

Between white and black

Many owners, one palace

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

From International Gothic to present day

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A triumph of colour

A new site for a new church

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A square as the heart of the city

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A new site for a new city

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The interior and its masterpieces

Feast days

Two illustrious patron saints

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The Burgos crucifix

A colourful floor

Searching for colour

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

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra