Catania

The church and the monastery

The church of San Benedetto (St. Benedict), considered one of the best examples of late Baroque in Catania, is located inside the historic monastery at the beginning of Via dei Crociferi.
monastero da via crociferi inquadrando l'arco d'unioneIt is the other largest convent complex of the Benedictine nuns and their current residence.
It is said that the superb arch that opens onto the street was built in one night to unite the two monasteries and connect the abbeys, following the earthquake in 1704.
arco d'unioneThe grandeur that emanates from this place inspired Giovanni Verga ‘s “Storia di una Capinera” (Story of a Blackcap) and Franco Zeffirelli’s film adaptation (Sparrow) set in Via dei Crociferi.
The monastery of San Benedetto originated from the remains of a Roman domus dating back to imperial times, the remains of which were discovered during restoration work.
One of the most fascinating elements of the cloistered monastery, where the Benedictine nuns practised a characteristic form of devotion , is the parlour, the only place where the nuns could have contact with the outside world.
In this room, concealed by thick black grating, they were allowed to talk to their relatives.
The room’s floor, preserved in its original state, dates back to the 14th century and is made of terracotta and limestone. It also has geometrically shaped decorations typical of the Arab-Norman period, created by the intersection of several depictions joined together. The main element is the symbolic eight-pointed star repeated in the geometric flooring and which represents the sacred centre par excellence.

The senses tell the Church of San Domenico

Piazza Duomo, the elephant fountain, the heart of the city

The Monastery of the Benedictine nuns

The senses tell the Benedictine Monastery and the Church of San Nicolò l’Arena

The church of San Nicolò l’Arena: the majesty of an unfinished beauty

Luminous sacred spaces

A casket of precious works

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The casket of austerity under the great dome

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

The city within the city

Rebirth and urban planning of the city of Noto

The Church of St. Mary of the Mountain

The Madonna dei Conadomini and the art of devotion

The dynamics of the Church of San Michele

The senses tell the Cathedral of San Giorgio

The church and the monastery

The eagle-shaped city

The Church of St. John the Evangelist

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Paolo

The freedom of worship and the Catholic Church’s role in the diffusion of Baroque

Palazzo Zacco, a balance between sobriety and decoration

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

Barresi-Branciforte: the lords of the fiefdom and the modernisation of the town

The two churches

The articulated interior spaces

San Domenico and Gagliardi’s work

From the end of the world to rebirth from the rubble

Geometry and wonder in civic architecture in the Baroque of the Val di Noto

Unusual iconographies: the Burgos crucifix

The church and the college

Fountain of the Nymph Zizza: public water in the town

The city of Modica, a balance between nature and urbanism

Baroque creativity: recurring themes

The senses tell the Church of San Michele

The Church of St. Francis

The Church of St. Julian on Via dei Crociferi

The Badia di Sant’Agata (St. Agatha’s Abbey)

A stone garden

Palazzo della Cancelleria: from former stable to the Nicastro family

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Views denied, views conquered: the power of the devout Benedictines

The senses tell about Palazzo Beneventano

The palace, the town, the church

City and nature

Akrai and Syracuse: an unbreakable bond

Majestic exteriors, grandiose interiors

The Infiorata of Noto, a modern tradition

The neo-Gothic seminary chapel: symbols, light and space

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The Benedictines’ library

The senses tell about Palazzo Ducezio

The Church of St. Paul

The Monte delle Prestanze in the new city layout

The Palazzo dei due mori

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Carlo and the former Jesuit college

The interiors: diffused light and Byzantine relics

Madonna of the Militia: a singular warrior virgin

The works in the church

Baroque and the loss of balance in the 16th century

Scicli, the city of Baroque scenery

The interior of the church: space and colour

One city, three sites

Reconstruction after the earthquake

The smallest Greek theatre in the world

The senses tell the Cathedral of San Giorgio

The art of maiolica

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

The senses tell of Palazzo della Cancelleria

The city palace

St. Agatha and the candelore

Religious architecture

The beginning of an authentic Baroque conception

Palazzo Trigona di Canicarao

The expansion of space and changing reality

The senses tell about Palazzo Zacco

The illusion of light and the decorative splendour

Virtuosity, decorations and altars

Altars, saints and sculptural works

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Scenography and devotion for St. Agatha

The Antonino Uccello Birthplace Museum

The new roads of the city

Art in the cathedral

A heritage of votive works

Expansion, spatiality and light in the church of San Domenico

Palazzo Trigona: a building with a complex shape

A new site for the church of San Giorgio

The interior and works of art

Scenography, lights and colours of the cathedral

The senses tell about Palazzo Trigona

The Church of St. Benedict

A unifying project for the city of Catania

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

The senses tell of the Cathedral of San Pietro

Militello: The story of an enlightened fiefdom

The Church of Madonna della Stella

The Staircase of Angels

Verticality and dynamism of the façade of the Church of San Carlo

The Duomo di San Giorgio (Cathedral of St. George)

Expanded spaces, stucco and colourful lights

The triumph of Baroque: expansion of spaces

The Franciscan convent

A compromise between Neoclassicism and Baroque

A story of rebirth

The senses tell the story of the Sanctuary Church of Santa Maria della Stella