Scicli

The Burgos crucifix

The church houses the original painting of the Burgos Crucifix.
The work is known to date from 1696 thanks to an inscription on the back of the canvas that reveals the year it was painted, but not its author.
There is equally dubious and unclear information about the commission and the dynamics that brought the work to the church of San Giovanni Evangelista (St. John the Evangelist). It was likely a Spanish artist linked to a commissioner who was also Spanish, or of Spanish origin, and the canvas is presumed to have been either a gift from an aristocratic family, perhaps the Di Stefano family (Giovanna Di Stefano founded the monastery), or the dowry of a young high-ranking nun.
The painting tela crocifisso di Burgosrecounts the most tragic moment in Christian history, the Crucifixion.
The dark background of the canvas conveys anxiety and all the tragedy of the event. Christ is shown in the centre of the canvas with a bowed head, long hair, beard and crown of thorns; his body shows clear signs of suffering and he has numerous wounds on his arms and chest. As per tradition, his hands and feet are nailed down.
What is completely unusual is the white robe that Jesus wears; embroidered and ankle-length, it is not often seen in paintings. It stands out from the near-black background, while the cross fades into it. Two silver cups and an ostrich egg are placed beneath the cross. In Christian symbolism, the ostrich egg represents resurrection.
Though Christ’s pose is the one we see in most depictions, the same cannot be said for his robe, making the unprecedented representation an important testimony.

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The colours of the cathedral

The Maiolica of the staircase

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

The two churches

Some masterpieces

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A colourful floor

A talking palace

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Prominent façade

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Searching for colour

Norman apses

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

New roads for Catania

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Feast days

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The disastrous earthquake

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

An eagle-shaped city

Feasting in Palazzolo

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The city of museums

A majestic and luminous church

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

One city, two sites

A half-Baroque church

From International Gothic to present day

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A hall for the feasts

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

A long reconstruction

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Between white and black

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Limestone, the colour of harmony

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The theatre of taste

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Many owners, one palace

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A miniature city

Discovering the mother church

The Baroque town by the sea

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A small room with a golden entrance

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

One city, three sites

Some prestigious works

A feast only for Scicli

A triumph of colour

The chocolate of Modica

Connections with other UNESCO sites

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

A city in colour

The Burgos crucifix

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The interior and its masterpieces

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The internal colours

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A new site for a new city

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

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

The wall comes to life

A museum to save a tradition

A prominent church

Wonderful quick decorations

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

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

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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Two illustrious patron saints

A symbol for the town

The church of Carmine

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A square as the heart of the city

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci