Catania

The disastrous earthquake

The city of Catania is located in eastern Sicily, overlooking the Ionian Sea, and lies on the slopes of Mount Etna.
veduta EtnaThe people of Catania are deeply attached to the volcano, a symbol of the city, but it is also the cause of immense disasters such as the eruption in 1669.
In 1693, a violent earthquake struck Catania and destroyed it completely; only the walls, fortifications and some ancient buildings survived. The people of Catania then had two options: abandon the old city forever, or focus their energies on rebuilding it on the same site.
Given its strategic position for trade between the coast and further inland, they decided not to change location and so began an extraordinary rebirth.
All state, religious and secular authorities participated in the reconstruction, demonstrating remarkable organisational capacity.
Under the supervision of the Duke of Camastra , a reconstruction and restructuring plan was implemented, which still forms the urban fabric of Catania today. The current Piazza Duomo was recognised as the central point around which the new main roads were designed.

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A square as the heart of the city

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A museum to save a tradition

The Staircase of Angels

A miniature city

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Between white and black

A symbol for the town

A hall for the feasts

The chocolate of Modica

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

Discovering the mother church

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

The two churches

The city of museums

From International Gothic to present day

A colourful floor

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

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

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

One city, three sites

Norman apses

Two illustrious patron saints

The internal colours

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A talking palace

A Nobel Prize in Modica

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The Baroque town by the sea

The Maiolica of the staircase

An eagle-shaped city

Prominent façade

A small room with a golden entrance

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A prominent church

A majestic and luminous church

A half-Baroque church

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A city in colour

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Wonderful quick decorations

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The wall comes to life

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The colours of the cathedral

Searching for colour

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A new site for a new church

The interior and its masterpieces

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

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

The theatre of taste

Feasting in Palazzolo

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Many owners, one palace

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

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

A long reconstruction

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Some prestigious works

A feast only for Scicli

Feast days

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Some masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The church of Carmine

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A triumph of colour

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

One city, two sites

New roads for Catania

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A new site for a new city

The disastrous earthquake

The Burgos crucifix