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

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A talking palace

A museum to save a tradition

A long reconstruction

One city, two sites

A symbol for the town

Some masterpieces

A miniature city

A small room with a golden entrance

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Between white and black

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

Wonderful quick decorations

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

An eagle-shaped city

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

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

The interior and its masterpieces

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

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

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

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

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A hall for the feasts

The Maiolica of the staircase

Norman apses

The two churches

From International Gothic to present day

Prominent façade

A square as the heart of the city

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The church of Carmine

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The wall comes to life

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A colourful floor

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Feast days

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Feasting in Palazzolo

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A new site for a new city

Some prestigious works

The colours of the cathedral

A new site for a new church

The disastrous earthquake

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A majestic and luminous church

The chocolate of Modica

The Baroque town by the sea

One city, three sites

A triumph of colour

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

Many owners, one palace

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A half-Baroque church

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A city in colour

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The theatre of taste

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

Searching for colour

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The Staircase of Angels

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Two illustrious patron saints

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A feast only for Scicli

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

New roads for Catania

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The internal colours

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The city of museums

The Burgos crucifix

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

A prominent church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Discovering the mother church