Palazzolo Acreide

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The church of San Sebastiano (St. Sebastian) is located in the centre of Palazzolo Acreide, a few metres from the town hall in Piazza del Popolo.facciata da piazza del popolo pieno giorno
Over the centuries the church was rebuilt and modernised several times. The first religious building dedicated to St. Sebastian probably dates back to the 15th century and was built where the church of San Rocco (St. Roch) used to stand.
Very quickly the church proved to be too small and so it was extended; in 1655 the new structure was finished.
But the joy of having a new church did not last long, as the violent earthquake of 1693 almost completely destroyed the church. For many years religious services were held in a hut, a makeshift structure not far from the remains of the church.
Years passed and those in charge of the religious congregation felt the need to rebuild and give the district back its church. The stages of construction were long and complex due to economic difficulties and various debates, especially with the nearby Capuchin friars.
The end result was an incredible sight; it was difficult not to be enchanted by it.
Whether in broad daylight, by the light of sunset, the darkness of the evening, or Christmas lights, the church attracts attention and arouses a strong feeling of majesty and grandeur.

The Burgos crucifix

An eagle-shaped city

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

The two churches

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The internal colours

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

Feast days

A talking palace

Searching for colour

Connections with other UNESCO sites

From International Gothic to present day

A half-Baroque church

A miniature city

The Maiolica of the staircase

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

Prominent façade

The façade used as a puppet theatre

One city, three sites

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The disastrous earthquake

The chocolate of Modica

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Feasting in Palazzolo

A colourful floor

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

The colours of the cathedral

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The interior and its masterpieces

Norman apses

One city, two sites

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A prominent church

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

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

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

A hall for the feasts

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

New roads for Catania

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

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

The theatre of taste

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

The city of museums

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Wonderful quick decorations

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Some masterpieces

A new site for a new city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Two illustrious patron saints

A feast only for Scicli

The church of Carmine

A city in colour

The Baroque town by the sea

Discovering the mother church

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A majestic and luminous church

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The wall comes to life

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A museum to save a tradition

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A long reconstruction

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Many owners, one palace

A triumph of colour

Between white and black

Some prestigious works

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A symbol for the town

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A square as the heart of the city

A small room with a golden entrance

A new site for a new church

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo