Caltagirone

The Maiolica of the staircase

foto dal basso verso alto scalinata
In 1956, the staircase was enriched and embellished with a colourful maiolica covering. The idea was to celebrate the thousand-year-old tradition of Sicilian maiolica makers. For this reason, Professor Antonino Ragona, head of the project, chose to reproduce maiolica designs from the 10th-20th century.
The steps were covered from top to bottom. The maiolica tiles were inserted in chronological order, from the earliest century to present day. The first two steps commemorate Antonio Ragona and those who created the decorations (Gesualdo Aqueci, Francesco Ludice and Nicola Porcelli). The other 140 steps are divided into ten sections, one for each century starting from the 10th century. So as you climb the stairs, you are retracing the history of Caltagirone pottery from the antiquity until today.
foto Particolare targa primi due gradini foto Particolare targa primi due gradini
The maiolica tiles are a triumph of yellow, turquoise and green. One after another, geometrical decorations, human and floral figures alternate and portray the characteristic maiolica styles of Arabic, Norman, Suevian, Angevin-Aragonese, Chiaramontano, Spanish, Renaissance, Baroque, 18th century, 19th century and contemporary production.
foto Dettagli maioliche diverse

The theatre of taste

The church of Carmine

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The two churches

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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

A miniature city

Feasting in Palazzolo

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A small room with a golden entrance

Searching for colour

Two illustrious patron saints

The Maiolica of the staircase

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Feast days

Discovering the mother church

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Norman apses

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A colourful floor

Wonderful quick decorations

From International Gothic to present day

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A half-Baroque church

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The disastrous earthquake

A prominent church

The wall comes to life

A feast only for Scicli

Some masterpieces

A triumph of colour

A museum to save a tradition

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A square as the heart of the city

New roads for Catania

Between white and black

A symbol for the town

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A new site for a new church

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A new site for a new city

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

The colours of the cathedral

A majestic and luminous church

A hall for the feasts

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

One city, two sites

The chocolate of Modica

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

One city, three sites

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A city in colour

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

Some prestigious works

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

The Baroque town by the sea

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A long reconstruction

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The Staircase of Angels

Many owners, one palace

The city of museums

The internal colours

A talking palace

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

Prominent façade

The Burgos crucifix

The interior and its masterpieces