Catania

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

sight
The façade with a play on colour

foto bicromiaOf all the wonders of Piazza Duomo, the cathedral certainly does not go unnoticed.
Thanks to a play on colour between the white limestone and grey lava stone, the façade figures prominently in the square.
The two colours alternate with one another to create a perfect harmony that adds liveliness to the façade.
The colours are not always the same; at different times of the day they shine differently depending on the light.

touch
Coarse to smooth, hot to cold

Look but don’t touch! How many times have you heard this said in museums or churches?
But if you could touch each material that made up the church you would notice how different they are; starting with the pillars that separate the central nave from the lateral naves, the former in lava stone and the latter in white limestone.
On a hot summer day, the outside walls will be much warmer than those inside, which will be undoubtedly cold.

hearing
Music in the Cathedral

foto dell'organo l'interno della cattedraleThe church has an unbreakable bond with music.
The cathedral of St. Agatha is not only home to a magnificent organ, now located above the entrance, but the tomb of the musician Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835).
Though he died very young, he was recognised as one of the greatest composers of his time.
The artist’s tomb was created in 1876 by Giovanni Battista Tassara and is located next to one of the pillars of the right nave.
Bellini was initially buried in Paris at the Père Lachaise Cemetery.

taste
A dessert for a saint

During the feast dedicated to St. Agatha, the “Minne di Sant’Agata”, a dessert made in her honour, are another must.
The shape is unambiguously reminiscent of a woman’s breast, in memory of the terrible martyrdom suffered by the saint.
The dessert consists of a shortcrust pastry shell covered with white icing with a candied cherry on top; the filling is made with sweetened sheep’s milk ricotta, candied fruit and dark chocolate. Yum! Not to be missed if you happen to be in Catania during the feast. foto dei dolci delle minne di Sant'Agata

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A triumph of colour

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

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Between white and black

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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A colourful floor

Wonderful quick decorations

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The interior and its masterpieces

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The façade used as a puppet theatre

Some masterpieces

A long reconstruction

One city, three sites

The disastrous earthquake

A symbol for the town

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Baroque town by the sea

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Searching for colour

One city, two sites

The Maiolica of the staircase

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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The theatre of taste

A city in colour

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The internal colours

Many owners, one palace

The chocolate of Modica

The colours of the cathedral

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A hall for the feasts

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Norman apses

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The church of Carmine

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Some prestigious works

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

From International Gothic to present day

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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Two illustrious patron saints

The Staircase of Angels

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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The two churches

A miniature city

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Feast days

A talking palace

A prominent church

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Prominent façade

The Burgos crucifix

Feasting in Palazzolo

Discovering the mother church

A new site for a new church

The wall comes to life

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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