Catania

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The Cathedral of Sant’Agata (St. Agatha) is undoubtedly one of the most important buildings in Piazza Duomo. The foundation of the first cathedral dates back to Roger I, a Norman king around the late 11th century.
From that moment onwards, the church underwent numerous modifications at the hands of the various sovereigns who ascended to the throne. But it was the catastrophe in 1693 that destroyed the old building and forced the bishop to order a new church to be built.
The work phases were long and various architects took part in the project. The first was Girolamo Palazzotto, called upon by the bishop of the city, Ignazio Riggio; in 1709 he started the works and chose to reuse structures that had remained standing, such as the three Norman apses .
In 1729, Palermo-born Pietro Galletti was appointed bishop. He decided to entrust the supervision of the work to architect Giovan Battista Vaccarini who was responsible for completing the remaining sections, including the main façade and the external side wall on Via Vittorio Emanuele.


His design for the façade was so highly criticised that he went to Rome to the Accademia di San Luca (Academy of St. Luke) to ask for approval, as did Charles of Bourbon, who asked his architects to verify the proposal.
Once Vaccarini’s design was accepted, he was able to build the façade, the lateral structure and the internal altars that had remained unfinished. The works were finally completed by Antonino Battaglia, who built the dome. In the 19th century the bell tower was built.
zoom cupola  foto del campanile

The Baroque town by the sea

A museum to save a tradition

A small room with a golden entrance

Wonderful quick decorations

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

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

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

Some masterpieces

One city, three sites

The Staircase of Angels

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The colours of the cathedral

One city, two sites

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A feast only for Scicli

The internal colours

The Maiolica of the staircase

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

An eagle-shaped city

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Feasting in Palazzolo

Some prestigious works

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

A majestic and luminous church

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A Nobel Prize in Modica

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The disastrous earthquake

A half-Baroque church

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Between white and black

Discovering the mother church

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Searching for colour

A hall for the feasts

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A prominent church

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A long reconstruction

The interior and its masterpieces

Feast days

Norman apses

The Burgos crucifix

A new site for a new church

The city of museums

The chocolate of Modica

From International Gothic to present day

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The church of Carmine

Two illustrious patron saints

A talking palace

The theatre of taste

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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 senses tell the Benedictine Monastery and San NicoIò l’Arena

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A colourful floor

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A city in colour

A square as the heart of the city

A miniature city

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The wall comes to life

A new site for a new city

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A triumph of colour

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A symbol for the town

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

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Many owners, one palace

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Prominent façade

New roads for Catania

The two churches

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

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