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

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The colours of the cathedral

A miniature city

A feast only for Scicli

The two churches

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Some masterpieces

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The interior and its masterpieces

A colourful floor

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

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

One city, two sites

The wall comes to life

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

The city of museums

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Many owners, one palace

One city, three sites

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

The chocolate of Modica

The Baroque town by the sea

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A small room with a golden entrance

The disastrous earthquake

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The theatre of taste

A new site for a new church

Discovering the mother church

A symbol for the town

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A long reconstruction

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A new site for a new city

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

A city in colour

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Searching for colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The Maiolica of the staircase

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Feasting in Palazzolo

From International Gothic to present day

A prominent church

A triumph of colour

New roads for Catania

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

Norman apses

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Between white and black

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Prominent façade

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

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

A majestic and luminous church

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A half-Baroque church

The Staircase of Angels

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Some prestigious works

A museum to save a tradition

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Feast days

Wonderful quick decorations

The internal colours

Two illustrious patron saints

The Burgos crucifix

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The church of Carmine

A square as the heart of the city

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A talking palace

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A hall for the feasts